


Like a Roundhouse Kick to the Side of the Head

by nightflower_panda



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Awkward Noctis Lucis Caelum, Banter, Bromance, Childhood Friends, Cute Kids, Denial of Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Ignis Scientia is a Good Friend, M/M, Martial Arts, Masturbation, Misunderstandings, Non-Graphic Violence, Oblivious Gladiolus Amicitia, Prompto Argentum is a Ray of Sunshine, Romance, Secret Crush, Senpai-Kouhai Relationship, Shippy Gen, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Teenage Drama, Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:53:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 62,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24062410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightflower_panda/pseuds/nightflower_panda
Summary: Noctis, heir to the largest yakuza syndicate in Insomnia, grows weary of his social trappings and wants to enjoy his last moments of freedom before living up to his position.He wants to start high school.Despite being a yakuza AU, this is gonna focus more on the boys' relationships with each other at school and at club. :D It's honestly just slice of life with martial arts: lots of bromance, soft awkward crushes and a dash of drama. <3
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Iris Amicitia, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 94
Kudos: 98





	1. Sakura Petals Always Remind Me of New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EllohriaEllihse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllohriaEllihse/gifts).



> Thank you EllohriaEllihse for inspiring me to try my hand at an AU!
> 
> The setting is kind of a weird mash up between Eos and Japan. Just go with it and don't worry too much about the details. LOL.

Noctis stepped out of the car, pushing the door closed behind with a firm shove. That was one new experience down: opening and closing his own car door. 

He reached up to adjust his collar and a single pink petal landed on his hand, which was still poised against his top button. He blew it away with a gentle huff, along with the nervous breath which was threatening to squeeze at his chest. 

Despite the picturesque morning - a cloudless blue backdrop to the tree lined path before him, branches heavy with cherry blossoms and their sweet scent filling the air - Noctis was apprehensive. Even though he'd been the one adamant to start high school this year, and had worked so hard to convince his father to allow him, now he was finally here he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. After all, he may have been 15 years old, but this was his first time outside without one of his father's underlings by his side.

Growing up in a yakuza household, Noctis had known for as long as he could remember exactly what kind of business his father was involved in - and exactly what would be expected of him as the sole heir. He'd known it all his life so it wasn't something he was averse towards, but as he grew older and became more aware of what the world had to offer, Noctis began to harbour a longing to know what it might be like to live a 'normal' life... Like the characters in the books he read or the shows he watched, what would it be like to go to school, attend lessons, hang out with friends and get stressed about exams? Sure, he did those things in the Lucis Manor, but it wasn't the same. How could it be the same when your lessons were with a private tutor, your friends were those who'd been ordered to spend time with you and you didn't have exams because your stress came from wondering which rival gang might be planning to overstep your turf or, even worse, plot to kill you.

At 15, Noctis decided he wanted to taste it, even if it was only a little and even if it was fake. He wanted to go to high school. He wanted to try making friends of his own and he wanted to go a day without having eager young men and tired old men bark, 'Young master!' at him everytime he turned a corner at home.

Of course, his father was against it at first. Where was the benefit? How was it worth the danger? As the head of the largest yakuza syndicate in Insomnia, Regis Lucis Caelum had a lot of enemies. He'd already lost his wife in a failed assassination attempt on his own life (even if it had been almost a decade ago with no other attempts since); he wasn't about to unnecessarily endanger his son, too.

Fortunately for Noctis, Regis' most senior advisor and trusted friend was a level-headed man and seemingly on his side. With Clarus Amicitia able to word Noctis' arguments in a more eloquent manner, adding to them in his absence, father and son were able to come to the following arrangement: Noctis could attend high school, providing it was of Regis' choosing, during which he would need to join the school's karate club (because he may as well gain _some_ useful experience whilst there) and he had to agree to Ignis also enrolling with him.

Noctis had argued the last point, because although he and Ignis got on well it would be defeating the purpose to have someone he knew in the same classroom as him... Besides which, Ignis was a whole one and a half years older than Noctis and technically in the year above. After some persuasion, Regis acquiesced to Ignis transferring into the junior year where he belonged - it wasn't ideal, but at least that way he would still be on site.

Ignis had known Noctis for almost as long as the young heir could remember. He belonged to a branch family of the Caelums, his parents having lost their lives in a drug deal gone wrong, and had since been brought into the main house itself with nowhere else to go. Regis knew how to look after his members and Ignis was, on paper, adopted by one of the more hotheaded seniors in the hope it would help calm his temper and teach him responsibility: Cor Leonis. Although in practice, Ignis actually spent most of his time shadowing the servants and learning various domestic skills from them - already mature beyond his age at 6 years old, Ignis had wanted to continue his parents' honour by serving the Lucis clan as best he could.

During the times they actually spent together - more like brothers than parent/child - Cor, not knowing any other way to show affection, had taken Ignis under his wing by way of training him in martial arts and weaponry. By the age of 8, Ignis was more skilled with a knife than most people three times his age. And somehow or another, he ended up becoming a constant companion for the young Noctis.

First, Ignis played the role of bodyguard (because who would suspect the small boy of a similar age would be capable of harming a fully grown adult?) then he morphed more into a retainer type figure (with the loss of Noctis' mother and sympathising with his situation, Ignis wanted to do whatever he could do to fill in that gap) and finally he settled into becoming a personal assistant/watchdog/study partner all rolled into one.

Noctis pulled his satchel higher up onto his shoulder as he readied himself to enter the school grounds. He wasn't going to admit he was lonely already without Ignis by his side, having convinced the older teen he didn't need to come early what with their staggered start times. He couldn't be so weak on the first day of this new endeavour.

Right now, Noctis had an opening ceremony to get to and a new beginning to start. Forcing his head up higher, the young master took his first steps towards his new high school life.

\----------

The school hall was packed with rows upon rows of students. Noctis smiled at how similar it was to the depictions he'd seen in the media: there were kids who seemed to have known each other for years, kids who seemed more nervous than he was, loud kids, shy kids, jocks and geeks. The teachers looked like a decent bunch and the student valedictorian was as cliché as they came. Noctis felt like he was going to be happy here.

He followed the crowds to his classroom (1-A, nice) and settled himself into his assigned seat, ordered alphabetically. He was against the window behind a guy with the surname 'Argentum'. Noctis hoped it was someone easy to get along with.

He'd chosen to just use his regular name rather than a pseudonym: although his family was well known amongst those in the business, if you weren't part of their world then you were unlikely to make the connection between 'Caelum' and 'yakuza'. Besides which, the syndicate was under the old moniker of 'Lucis', the only name outsiders would have heard of, if any. Noctis and his father had both agreed upon the need to keep his identity as a mafia boss' son a secret, but using a different name would no doubt have become confusing and Noctis had decided he didn't want to deal with that headache if he could help it. 

"Hey!" 

Noctis looked up to see a cheery faced blonde grinning at him. His hair stuck up in a small quiff, reminding Noctis vaguely of a chocobo, and a light smattering of freckles dusted his cheeks.

"I'm Prompto! Nice ta meet ya!" 

The blonde pulled up the chair in front, sitting in it the wrong way to face Noctis, hanging his elbows over the back.

He was practically the definition of friendly. 

"Hey," Noctis managed a small smile of his own. It was forced rather than natural only out of habit - he'd always been taught to be watchful in any new setting, staking out the situation before letting down his guard, especially when meeting new people. 

"You got a name?" Prompto smiled, all white teeth and sunshine.

"...Noctis."

"Great! I'll call ya Noct!" 

The teacher called for their attention just then and Prompto span round with a cheeky finger gun to Noctis' nose. 

He was like a whirlwind: confident and sunny and Noctis' exact opposite. But there was also something comforting and genuine in his good naturedness. Noctis felt like he'd be lucky if this Prompto was to become his first real friend. Well, not that Ignis wasn't, but Ignis had been chosen for him and Prompto would be someone he chose himself... And who had the choice to reject him, too.

By the time all the announcements, introductions and general housekeeping rules were covered, it was lunchtime. As soon as he was able, Prompto had spun back round in his seat as the rest of the classroom filled with the bubbling of excited voices and casual conversation.

"So you're not from the local middle school either?" he asked, rocking a little on the balls of his feet.

Noctis had kept his introduction short, mentioning only his name and that he'd been homeschooled up until now, finishing with the standard, 'I hope to get along with you all.'

"No..." Noctis replied, trailing off as he wasn't sure what he could add without repeating what he'd already said earlier. He needn't have worried though, as Prompto was happy talking regardless. 

"Yeah, me too. I just moved into the area last month - got my own place not far from here. It's pretty sweet! You should come over sometime!"

Noctis didn't know what he'd done to make this bundle of energy like him, but it felt good and he smiled back, more genuine this time.

"Sure, sounds good."

"You bring lunch with you?" Prompto ducked down to rummage in his bag. "We can eat here if you want or check out the school or head for the cafeteria?" 

Noctis lifted his own bag onto his lap. "It's cool, I brought lunch--"

"Perfect! Let's just stay here then," Prompto answered his own question, settling his things onto Noctis' desk. "We've got a pretty nice view from here," he gestured out the window at the tree lined path below. "Can never get bored of looking at the cherry blossoms!" 

"Yeah," Noctis relaxed, letting himself get swept along by the other teen's enthusiasm. "Sakura petals always remind me of new beginnings..."

Prompto laughed. "Dude, that sounded almost poetic!" 

"You think?" Noctis grinned back. 

New beginnings, new school, new friend. Noctis was sure this had been a good decision after all.

\----------

The afternoon was spent on a tour of the grounds and to check out the after school groups. Noctis already knew what he needed to join, but he still enjoyed looking around at what there was to offer. It seemed the school boasted a large number of sports clubs and the karate club in particular was renowned for its consistent placing at tournaments - no doubt the reason Noctis' father had chosen this specific school for him.

The clubs each had the chance to give a short demonstration, to appeal to the first years in an attempt to garner new members. Noctis had to admit the karate club were definitely outstanding. Their moves were crisp and powerful, perfectly in time as they performed for the crowd. They finished their demo with two of the seniors showing an example of a short sparring match. The taller of the two seemed like the captain. He was well built, his toned abs peeking through the flap of his uniform, and he was already sporting the start of a small beard. Noctis was impressed with his moves and somehow caught his eye as they finished. The guy smiled and Noctis felt his breath hitch - from surprise, maybe. In any case, he seemed like he'd be a good senior to learn from and Noctis decided he was looking forward to meeting him properly. 

"I'm gonna join the archery club," Prompto announced, miming shooting an arrow into Noctis' chest as they headed for the shoe lockers at the end of the day.

Noctis staggered back from the pretend impact before plucking the air arrow out and tossing it to the side. They hadn't known each other long but it felt like a lifetime and Noctis was already opening up to play along. 

"You done something like it before?" 

"Nah, but I always wanted to," Prompto grinned. "I think I'd be really good at hitting the targets - my eyesight is like, above 20/20. More like 40/40!"

Noctis laughed, "Yeah?" 

"Yeah, I can see things from a mile off! And I'm pretty hot at those arcade shooters," he mimed firing off bullets from his fingers this time. "Really makes me wanna try shooting things for real and archery's the closest I'm gonna get!" 

Prompto paused here, slight worry on his face as he caught Noctis' eyes. 

"Er, I mean, not in a weird way... Just the whole hitting the target in real life thing!"

Noctis nodded, hiding a smirk. He hadn't thought it was weird at all. In fact, he'd been around guns all his life. He wondered what Prompto would think if he knew.

"It's cool, I get it," Noctis continued walking, not at all nonplussed. "...I'm planning on joining the karate club."

"Oooh nice," Prompto reached over to tap Noctis' bicep. "You secretly hiding some muscle under there?"

Noctis scoffed, rolling his shoulder to knock away Prompto's teasing pats. "Yeah, I've done a bit of martial arts."

It wasn't a lie but Prompto didn't need to know the reason why. 

"Nice!"

They reached the lockers and Noctis spotted Ignis waiting for him. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, ash blonde hair swept neatly to one side and glasses perched elegantly on the bridge of his nose. Ignis somehow always looked photo-ready no matter what the occasion.

"Noct," Ignis nodded as a way of greeting and Noctis was glad he hadn't called him 'young master'. 

"Hey, Iggy," he nodded back before moving to change his shoes. 

"Hey, Iggy!" Prompto called over too and Noctis had to laugh at how overly friendly his new classmate was. 

"That's Ignis," Noctis explained. "He's in the year above and.. a close family friend. Come to make sure I get home OK."

"Ahh that's nice," Prompto beamed. "Shows you're loved!"

"...Yeah," Noctis rolled his eyes. Showed his father was overprotective more like.

They walked up to the school gates together where they were greeted by the sight of an imposing black car, the afternoon sun glinting almost menacingly off its spotlessly shiny exterior.

"Woooaaah!" Prompto exclaimed running over to it. "Check out this ride! The owner must be like a yakuza boss or something!" 

Noctis knew it was just a phrase but the words made him cringe regardless. 

"Yeah, you'd be surprised to hear they weren't, huh?"

He shot a discreet glare at Ignis who just huffed in response, walking over nonchalantly to open the car door.

"No way, it's _your_ car, Iggy?"

"Well, it belongs to my family," Ignis clarified, smiling knowingly at Noctis. He seemed to enjoy telling misleading truths. 

Noctis debated offering Prompto a lift - it almost seemed rude not to, especially considering how impressed he was with the vehicle - but on second thought, he wasn't sure who had used the car last and if there was nothing conspicuous left behind. So they said their goodbyes as Noctis climbed into the car with Ignis following close behind, shutting the door neatly after them. 

"Afternoon, young master!" the driver greeted him and Noctis mock saluted his reflection in the rear view mirror. 

"Good first day?" Ignis inquired and Noctis murmured in agreement as the car pulled away.

"Yeah, everything went without a hitch."

"I'm glad."

"...And you?"

"Nothing of consequence to report."

"I'm glad," Noctis smiled, half teasing. 

Ignis was cool and calm whereas Prompto was energetic and loud, but they were both comforting in their own way. Noctis could only hope that the smiling senior he'd seen in the karate club would be just as much fun to be around. If so, it looked like he was setting himself up for a pretty good high school life.


	2. ...You Think I'm Pretty?

Noctis fell onto the mats with a loud grunt, the impact knocking all the air out from his lungs. What the hell? That wasn't supposed to be what happened!

The club captain loomed over him, fist still full with Noctis' shirt and one forearm pressed across his chest, pinning him to the floor.

"Finished playing around?" he growled, eyes an intense amber and voice low as he brought their faces dangerously close together. 

Noctis struggled to catch his breath as the blood rushed in his ears, almost drowning out the noise of the dojo. 

How the hell had he ended up in this situation again?

\----------

"Excited to start club practice today?" Prompto asked, grinning at Noctis as they made their way through the corridors.

"Yeah, I guess. Just hope it lives up to expectations," Noctis replied with a smile. 

They'd had a week to settle into their new school routines and were finally allowed to apply to their after school clubs of choice. Noctis had been worried Ignis would be forced to join alongside him, but the older teen had reassured he'd been ordered to just observe for now. In fact, Clarus had said having people indifferent to Noctis' position would mean they could push him better with his training: after all, only Cor and Clarus himself were able to put Noctis in his place back at the Manor training hall - everyone else was too afraid of the possible consequences to even consider it... Really, it was surprising Noctis hadn't turned out more spoilt than he was. 

Prompto waved to Noctis as he headed off to the archery hall, leaving his friend looking up at the entrance to the dojo. The building was, as expected, large and well looked after. The dojo itself was half matted and half wooden floored, with a viewing gallery running around the upper edge. The attached clubroom boasted a spacious changing area and even its own set of showers - unusual for a high school but likely just a reflection of the club's impressive prowess.

Noctis eyed up the doorway warily, part wondering if he should use the bathrooms instead - because changing in public was changing in public no matter how plush the surroundings were - when an enthusiastic upperclassman caught him around the shoulders and dragged him inside. 

"Welcome, welcome! No need to be shy!" 

The guy patted Noctis between the shoulder blades and shoved him towards a corner before turning his attention to someone else, striking up an easy conversation.

Noctis chose to get changed into his gym clothes with his back to the wall, feeling more self-conscious than he would have liked. Although pretty much fully healed now, the scar over his lower spine was still definitely visible and he wasn't keen for it draw any attention or become some kind of conversation starter... At least he had the experience from changing for PE to know how to do so as efficiently as possible.

There seemed to be quite a few other first years, Noctis recognising two from gym class. He'd not spoken to them, as they weren't partnered up for anything, but he vaguely remembered one of their names might have been 'Big' or 'Wiggs' or something. They hadn't left that much of an impression, to be honest, aside from maybe coming across as wannabe delinquents. 

"Into the dojo when you're ready!" the club captain appeared in the doorway, already dressed and smiling that same smile he'd flashed at Noctis on his first day. He noticed Noctis staring and winked jovially, making the younger teen blink rapidly and look away.

He was used to Prompto being overly friendly and found his new friend's behaviour comfortable, but the sight of his senior acting similarly? It made Noctis' cheeks feel a shade too warm... He could only put the reason down to their difference in age, or perhaps admiration (because how was it possible for someone to be both talented _and_ objectively good looking?) not sure what else it could be.

Noctis followed the group of chattering young men into the dojo, glancing up to spot Ignis on the balcony inside. He looked decidedly out of place amongst the clusters of girls huddled together, whispering and giggling. 

"Captain!! Work hard today! We're cheering for you!!" their high voices rang clearly through the air, but if they'd been heard then the object of their affections showed no signs of acknowledgement. He was busy talking to the coach.

"What a player," Noctis heard the first year behind him mumble to someone else. "Just cos he's won a few national tournaments they all think he's hot stuff."

"He's meant to be an amazing fighter though," the other first year answered. "Once we learn a thing or two from him, we're sure to have fanclubs of our own!" 

Noctis huffed out a smirk. He wasn't interested in dating girls - that wasn't what he'd joined high school for - but learning from the winner of 'a few national tournaments' sounded promising. Especially as the guy seemed so nice and down to earth. 

The session began with introductions. The club captain was a third year named Gladiolus, though he insisted everyone just called him Gladio. He'd be the one taking most of the sessions, with their coach checking in from time to time as was necessary.

The club's coach doubled up as their advisor. Mr. Ulric taught Physics, but was apparently an old karate champion from Galahd. He had a unique way of fighting, mixing in some of his homeland's traditional taekwondo techniques, and his many flamboyant victories had earnt him the nickname "Hero" in his youth (not that he was old, but anything above 25 counted as old to highschoolers). Nowadays, despite being a teacher, the students fondly called him by his first name of Nyx. Rather than mind he seemed to encourage it, and since it wasn't for lack of respect the rest of the faculty let it slide. 

"First years, you'll stay on this side of the hall with me. Everyone else, get yourselves warmed up. You know what to do." Gladio stood at the front of the class, loud and confident as if he'd been club captain all his life and not just for one week. "We won't normally be split up like this, but I wanna see what you newbies are capable of before we go any further."

The session continued as expected: warm up drills, basic cardio and stretches. Gladio gave the instructions, joining in alongside the new members. When they needed to find partners for stretching, however, Noctis spent a little too long awkwardly watching rather than approaching anyone himself. 

"Hey," Gladio jogged over and lightly punched the top of Noctis' arm, "odd numbers so 'fraid you're stuck with me!" 

"Oh," Noctis' voice came out feebler than intended, following behind Gladio as he led them both to an empty space on the mats. Damn his perpetual awkwardness upon meeting new people.

"I'm not gonna be doing much today so we can just focus on stretching you out, OK?" Gladio's voice was warm as he gestured for Noctis to sit down. 

They started with a simple butterfly, Noctis with the soles of his feet together, lightly bouncing his knees before pushing down on them with his elbows so they touched the ground. 

"You're pretty flexible, huh?" Gladio seemed impressed as he moved to kneel behind. "You probably don't need this, but I'm just gonna help push you down a bit more, OK?" 

Noctis hummed in agreement, for some reason feeling a little overwhelmed. Because the guy was the club captain and Noctis wasn't used to speaking to people above him in status? Maybe that was it.

Gladio rested his hands on Noctis' knees, pushing down with his body weight so his chest was almost flush against the younger teen's back. He let out a low chuckle. 

"Yeah, this isn't really doing much, is it? You done some kind of martial arts before?" 

"Yeah," Noctis nodded, focusing on his toes, "a bit here and there but not any karate." He was all too aware of Gladio's body heat and wasn't sure exactly where to look. It didn't help that he could hear some of the girls tittering from above, "That guy is _so lucky_ ," clearly referring to his close proximity to the third year. 

The captain smiled, letting up on the pressure. "Let's try the next one, then."

After making sure the other freshmen knew what to do, Gladio turned his attention back to Noctis. 

"You get that? Just spread your legs as wide as you can and I'll do the rest."

Noctis did as he was told, letting himself relax into a box splits then, keeping his legs wide, sitting down with his heels on the mat and toes pointing upwards. Gladio positioned himself in front and held out his hands, crossing his arms over at the wrists. 

"Ready? I'm just gonna push against your legs, OK?" 

Noctis nodded, taking Gladio's hands. They were surprisingly cool and Noctis couldn't help wondering if his own felt clammy or not. Gladio placed his soles gently against the younger teen's legs, just below his knees. 

"Just tell me if it hurts," Gladio smiled, clearly still impressed at Noctis' flexibility, as he began pushing carefully with his feet, holding Noctis steady with his firm grip. 

Noctis' legs inched wider and he gasped a little at the sensation. 

"Feel it?" Gladio grinned. "Let's hold it here for a minute then try going a little more." The older teen tightened his grip and pulled their torsos slightly closer together, bending his legs more as he shuffled forwards. 

Noctis bit his lip and looked down. Damn, they were close. His eyes caught the way Gladio's gi was opening slightly at the front and he noticed, wow, the captain was definitely packing some serious muscle. 

"Ready for more?" Gladio rumbled, shifting his position slightly and making his abs ripple. 

Noctis just nodded, his tongue feeling heavy. He wondered how much training Gladio must have done to have a body like that at only 17 years old. 

After what felt like a lot longer than a minute, Gladio finally let go of his hands and scooted backwards to allow Noctis to relax his legs. He'd not stretched so much before - his first time doing it with a partner - and his legs felt like jelly. 

"Lie down," Gladio stood over him, expression amused. "One last stretch then we'll take a water break."

This time, Noctis was flat on his back with his legs straight. One stayed on the ground and the other Gladio lifted up by the ankle. He braced the limb against his chest and used his body as a lever, pushing forwards to stretch out Noctis' hamstrings. Because the first year was so flexible, Gladio ended up with his hand under Noctis' thigh, kneeling down so Noctis was basically doing the splits and Gladio was leaning with his face barely inches away.

"Damn, you really are flexible," Gladio grinned, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Bet you could get some good head shots in. You seemed pretty nippy in the warm up, too - the other guy wouldn't even know what hit him! Just need to work on your stamina," Gladio finished with a nod. 

Noctis forced a weak smile, not sure how to reply to all that. He was surprised the captain had been watching him enough to already figure out his weakness of poor stamina as well as the way he made up for it with his agility. 

They finished their stretches and Gladio dismissed them all for a five minute water break while he went to catch up with the other second and third years.

"Think you're pretty cool, huh?" 

Noctis lowered his water bottle to see the two first years he recognised from the changing rooms standing in front of him. 

"...What?" he frowned, feeling confused. 

"Yeah, we saw the way you were showing off just then. Think you're all that, do you?" 

What the hell. Were these guys trying to pick a fight with him? Why? Noctis frowned harder. 

"Hey, look how he's glaring at us, Wedge!" one of them sneered. 

"I can see it, Biggs!" the one called Wedge replied. "You got a problem, pretty boy?!" he added tauntingly.

Unbelievable. Noctis just blinked, at a loss for words. He thought this kind of thing only happened in manga and usually with some kind of reason behind it. These two just seemed like idiots. And what on Eos was up with their insults? 

"...You think I'm pretty?" he smirked without meaning to. 

That seemed to throw them - because was it more insulting to agree or not? - and Noctis shook his head, turning to put his bottle away. Just as he bent down, he felt a devious push against his back and he went stumbling into the wall. 

"Watch yourself," Wedge growled, flashing an obscene hand gesture. 

Noctis brushed it off. Whatever they were trying to start wasn't worth carrying on with. He sighed internally. Well, he'd wanted a stereotypical high school life - he just wasn't expecting to meet any cliché bullies while he was here.

Ignis had noticed; of course he had. Noctis could feel his eyes burrowing into him from above. He glanced up and waved the older teen away with the back of his hand - it was nothing serious, Noctis could handle it. Thankfully, Ignis seemed to understand as he didn't make any move to come down.

The rest of the class continued as predicted, comprising of a whirlwind overview of what to expect from the club in terms of basic blocks, stances, punches and kicks. The techniques were all done in rows, practising against the air, with Gladio keeping a keen eye on them as he walked in between, giving advice here and there, guiding a punch higher, nudging a stance wider... 

Noctis concentrated hard on the moves, finding them relatively easy to get used to as he'd already learnt the basics of how to kick and punch from Cor, but the refined forms were foreign to him and he enjoyed trying to position his limbs just right... Especially when he got a subtle nod of approval from Gladio for his efforts.

Noctis' body had always been slender since he was born, and it only weakened further after the childhood injury to his back. He'd been confined to a wheelchair for almost half a year as he recovered, but once he was strong enough to walk again Clarus had suggested he learn a form of martial arts as a way of physical therapy - because Noctis was reluctant to exercise at all otherwise. Fortunately, he had spent much of his recovery watching sentai shows and being able to fight like his heroes was a big incentive to a young kid. Due to his weak frame, Noctis had ended taking up aikido: he was better suited to locks and holds and learning how to defend by redirecting his attacker's energy rather than relying on his own. So now that he was older and finally beginning to fill out, Regis was eager for him to learn karate and round out his ability to strike as well as he could guard. 

After another water break, Gladio announced they were going to finish with some light one-for-one sparring - so they could try out some of what they'd learnt with a human target to aim at.

"It's non-contact, no need to block, and you _take turns_ to attack," Gladio warned. "Let's not get injured on our first day, yeah?" 

The first years sat in a square around the outside of the mats. For safety reasons, they were to spar one pair at a time while everyone else watched; Nyx came over to time for one minute bouts whilst Gladio played the role of referee. As the pairs were called up, it was a good opportunity for them to announce their full name before stepping into the ring, too.

Somehow, Noctis had ended up sitting with Biggs and Wedge by his side, entirely too close for comfort. 

"Enjoying yourself, hot stuff?" 

Noctis squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself not to sigh. What the hell was their problem and why were all their insults actually compliments?

"Yeah, thanks for asking."

Wedge brought his hand up suddenly, as if to try and backhand Noctis across the top of his head, but Noctis deflected it easily with a frown. 

"What the--" 

"Sorry, thought I saw a fly," Wedge's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Something annoying buzzing around here anyway."

What they were doing would have been comical if it wasn't so nonsensical and pathetic.

Ignis watched from above, eyes narrowed. Noctis could feel him itching to do something even from that distance, so he shot him a glare, silently warning him to back off and that Noctis had things under control. 

"Well, you know what they say," Noctis replied cooly with a pointed look in the other first years' direction, "flies can't get enough of bullshit and there seems to be plenty coming out of you two."

The matches were proceeding in turn around the circle and Gladio came over just then to get their attention - which was good for Biggs and Wedge as they were floundering to come up with a good comeback. 

"You two are next," Gladio gestured with a smile. "One minute to show us what you got."

Noctis stood, straightening up his shirt, with Wedge following shortly after. They announced their names, bowed and took their positions in the ring. If Noctis had been paying attention, he would have noticed a glimmer of something flit across Gladio's face as he heard the name Caelum, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared - besides which, Noctis had his mind full trying to decide how best to go about sparring the jerk in front of him. Noctis wasn't the type to get riled up easily (he had his pride and his honour) but even if he didn't start fights he sure as hell knew how to finish them. 

Wedge was clearly a complete beginner, his moves clumsy and sloppy, but there was a definite aggression behind his attacks. Each punch and each kick was ridiculously close to clipping Noctis and probably would have done so if the smaller teen hadn't been so light on his feet. 

"Calm it down," Gladio barked, poised to intervene, but choosing not to just yet since they weren't actually making any contact. 

Wedge didn't seem to care for the captain's presence and threw a punch immediately after a kick. It almost connected but Noctis blocked it just in time. He should have known Wedge was going to play dirty. 

"Hey, one attack at a time. Take it in turns," Gladio stepped forwards with his arm in between the two freshmen.

"...Sorry, I forgot."

Noctis scoffed. What a liar. 

They exchanged a couple more kicks before Wedge tried it again, this time pulling off a double jab to Noctis' face. Again, he managed to block just in time, pushing the punch to the side as he pivoted to move out of the way - Wedge's momentum sent him stumbling past. The delinquent growled, annoyed, and lashed out a blundering attempt at a kick to Noctis' ribs. Not able to move out of the way in time, Noctis blocked it with his forearm and a hiss. Damn. The kick was clumsy but it had a good weight behind it. Wedge picked up his leg to kick again and Noctis began to get annoyed. Enough of this shit. This time, he caught the shin in a loose hold, scooping it up with the crook of his elbow and pushing against the top with his other hand, yanking Wedge forwards and down onto the mats. 

"Hey!" Gladio shouted, "That's enough!" 

Wedge sprawled onto the floor and Noctis stamped one foot towards him - intending to intimidate and not actually attack, but Gladio didn't know this and reached a hand out to grab Noctis by the shoulder, spinning him around. 

Shit. Instinct took over and at the feeling of being grabbed, Noctis' hands moved by themselves to cover Gladio's wrist as he twisted on the balls of his feet and dipped his hip down and _oh no_ , he wasn't about to throw the captain over his fucking shoulder was he--

Noctis fell to the mats with a loud oomph, almost winded from the impact. 

"Finished playing around?!" Gladio glared at him from above. "Thought you'd know better than to treat a beginner like that."

The hell? Was Noctis the one being blamed here? More importantly, how on Eos had Gladio ended up pinning him to the floor? Noctis didn't know karate had throws like that. He frowned, confused, and Gladio glared back. 

"...Not sure I like your attitude, kid."

Nyx strode over just then and peeled the larger teen away with a laugh before dragging Noctis back up to standing. "OK boys, break it up. Let's call it a day here. Gladio, get everyone lined up."

"Yessir," the captain exhaled, eyeing Noctis suspiciously before turning to leave. 

Nyx clapped Noctis on the back. "Don't worry 'bout it, you got some nice moves. Just try and keep the grappling to a minimum, yeah?" 

Noctis nodded dumbly as the teacher pushed him towards where the other students were beginning to line up for the end of the session. He felt frustrated. Wedge was already up, not even bothering to spare him a second glance, but Noctis didn't care about that. His mind was on something else; he couldn't get the way Gladio had looked at him out of his head. Not really anger, more like.. disappointment? Or was it disgust? It was unexpected anyway. He thought they'd been getting along well only moments before and he felt like he'd let the other teen down. The feeling was uncomfortable and heavy. 

As they were dismissed, Noctis found himself staring at the captain, trying to figure him out. This time, as their eyes met, rather than a jovial wink Gladio quirked an eyebrow into a glare. The reaction made Noctis hurt more than expected. What was with the 180 in attitude? Surely what he'd done hadn't been _that_ bad? Not even his fault, really - but Noctis had too much pride to say, 'Hey, _he_ started it.' What did it matter if anyone thought he was picking on beginners? 

Maybe this Gladio was just one of those stickler for the rules types... Putting yourself out of line meant you deserved a harsh punishment. Noctis scoffed to himself. Good thing his background was a secret then - Gladio probably wouldn't take well to the idea of organised crime as a lifestyle choice. 

It hurt more than expected to have Gladio disappointed, but Noctis wasn't going to let it get to him. He didn't need to have the third year smile at him. He didn't need those warm butterflies in his stomach. All he needed was to attend club practise and make his father happy.

Maybe things would be less distracting this way.


	3. ...It's an Old Injury. I Can Work Through It.

Ignis straightened up his school uniform, not yet having had the chance to change upon returning, before announcing his presence outside Clarus' chambers at the Lucis Manor. 

"...Come in."

The 16 year old entered the room with a bow.

Over the years, and as he had began to consider Noctis more of a friend, this had become the part of the job Ignis hated the most. He knew Noctis didn't begrudge him for it - and it wasn't even a betrayal of trust since the young master was more than aware it was happening - but Ignis still found the need to report Noctis' activities back to the higher ups an uncomfortable feeling. 

"The young master had his first training session today, correct?"

Clarus was sitting in a chair by the window, some kind of alcoholic beverage in hand. The glass was only a third full and the bottle on the table was even emptier, making Ignis wonder how long his superior had been there. The sun had just begun to set, bathing the room in a mellow orange glow.

"Correct," Ignis replied, staying standing to attention with his hands clasped behind his back. "He attended the karate club, as promised. There was a minor altercation with some classmates but nothing of any seriousness to report."

"An altercation?" 

"More of an attempt at one. The young master dealt with it easily."

Clarus nodded, gaze still set upon something outside, considering.

"...And the club captain? How was he?" 

Ignis smiled wryly, "As expected of their reputation. Was he perhaps part of the reason for choosing this particular school?" 

"Hm?" Clarus finally looked across at the teenager, expression hard.

"The young master was impressed with him from their demonstration on the first day alone - so learning he's a national champion was hardly surprising. I merely wondered if knowing he would be the one teaching was reason for selecting this school..."

"Oh," Clarus looked away again. "Yes, I've heard good things about the young man. And you say he lived up to his reputation? He was... doing well?" 

"Yes, sir."

"Good," Clarus sighed. "Good."

He paused for a short while, seemingly deep in thought, but just as the junior thought the man would ask more questions he was instead dismissed.

"...You may leave now, Ignis. Keep up the good work."

"Sir."

Ignis retreated quietly. Well, he hadn't told any lies: Noctis had joined the club and the captain was, no doubt, doing well. As for the strange way he had reacted to the young master's fight? There was no need to report about it; Ignis could keep an eye on things himself.

The next couple of weeks followed the same kind of pattern: Ignis would attend morning classes, drop past the first year classrooms during lunch to briefly spy upon Noctis eating with Prompto - who was usually discussing something animatedly, more often than not with the brightest smile, enough light behind it to make up for any of Noctis' sullenness - attend afternoon classes, observe the karate club then escort the young master home.

The dojo was en route to the archery hall and the two clubs ended at a similar time, so Prompto would often bump into them as he passed by to get to the school gates. After a couple of happy coincidences, the two freshmen eventually just planned to meet up together afterwards ("You're not sick of seeing me all day already?" "Oh no, I could _never_ get sick of you, bro! I get all heartsick when I _can't_ see you!") and so the two blondes would talk and discovered they got on well - both secretly admiring the other for the refined grace or bubbly personality they thought they lacked themselves. 

"Man, the upperclassmen are sooo cool. They make what they do look so effortless, you know?" Prompto bounced in front, swinging his bag around precariously. "We're not even allowed to touch the arrows yet! My mind's already full trying to get my form right and those guys are doing it all and hitting targets just like that... Whoosh! It's crazy!" 

Noctis chuckled, "Archery _is_ a kind of martial art, you know. Basics are important, but once you drill them enough it all becomes second nature."

"The important thing is you're still enjoying yourself?" Ignis added, light amusement in his eyes. It was always pleasant being in Prompto's company. It was easy to understand why the young master already valued him so much as a friend. 

"Of course!" Prompto grinned. "How about you guys? Iggy, you still just watching?" 

"Well, I'm waiting for Noct to finish so--"

"So why not just join in?" Prompto interrupted, genuinely curious.

"He's not into doing karate," Noctis answered for him with a smirk. "He's more into things to do with knives."

Ignis quirked an eyebrow at this unnecessary remark - Prompto's lighthearted nature seemed to bring out Noctis' teasing snark even more than usual - but the innocent blonde just grinned some more. 

"You mean like cooking? Why don't you join the Home Ec club then?" Prompto continued, unsuspecting, and Noctis' smirk grew larger.

"Wouldn't that be awesome, Noct - Iggy could meet us after club with whatever he's made... Can't think of a better way to end the day!" Prompto rocked on the balls of his feet to jibe Ignis with his elbow. "I'm assuming you're an awesome cook 'cause you just seem the type who's good at what he does. Hope you're not gonna disappoint me now!" 

Noctis laughed, more freely this time, and Ignis seemed to struggle slightly to keep his composure. Prompto was a real whirlwind when he wanted to be - it was difficult to keep up with what to answer first. 

"I'm... probably a better cook than most but," Ignis glanced across at Noctis, "I'm not sure about joining any clubs just yet."

"I wouldn't mind if you didn't want to watch me anymore," Noctis stated breezily and Ignis looked away again, smiling despite himself at the laden comment.

"...I'll think about it."

The next day, Ignis decided to pay a little more attention during karate to confirm if it really was OK for him not to be there. After all, he didn't need to observe Noctis during the whole of the school day anyway and it was clear the young master was enjoying the club enough not to break his promise of attending... So perhaps he could allow himself the luxury of scoping out the Home Economics room. Now Prompto had put the notion in his head, Ignis found he wasn't averse to the idea of joining at all.

Below him, the dojo was filled with the rhythmic sounds of forceful shouting and uniforms snapping, the club captain's deep voice ringing clear through the air as he gave both instructions and criticisms to the other students.

"Keep your hands up!" Gladio barked. "Let them drop and you lose your guard as well as your balance!" 

Noctis blew the hair out from his eyes and steadied his stance, ready to go again. Everyone was lined up and practising straight-legged kicks against the air: they'd already finished with axe kicks and had moved on to inwards crescents. Noctis' flexibility was a great bonus, but it meant it was easy to become sloppy as he didn't need to focus that hard to gain some good height. 

Gladio was walking between the lines with a pad in hand, holding it for each person in turn to hit against a target while the rest continued to strike the air. The third year came in front of Noctis and held the pad at the freshman's head height. 

"Eight!" Gladio called, each count a signal for another kick. 

The third year's jaw noticeably clenched as he made eye contact with Noctis - eyeing him suspiciously as he waited for Noctis to kick. Noctis had come to expect the not-so-subtle looks by now (though he wondered if Gladio had any idea how clear his dislike was or if he thought he was hiding it well) but it didn't mean he was used to them. It was damn frustrating how he seemed to be the only person in the club who the captain held in blatant disregard and Noctis couldn't for the life of him figure out why. It was frustrating and annoying and something else, too... It kind of hurt? 

He swung his leg in a neat crescent across, shouting at the point of expected impact, and his foot went clean over the pad in front. 

Whoops. Noctis' eyes snapped up to meet the captain's and was surprised to see a glint of excitement dancing behind them. 

Gladio raised the pad to his own head height, jaw relaxed and the hint of a smile behind it. 

"Nine!" 

It was only a hint, but the smile made Noctis think back to that first day and he realised all at once what that feeling was: he missed it. And it sounded stupid even in his head, because he'd had Gladio act friendly towards him all of _two_ times - one of which was just a smile from a distance - yet he missed the feeling terribly already. 

This time, Noctis caught the pad with the inner knife edge of his foot with a loud crack. The noise echoed around the dojo, along with Noctis' shout, and Gladio full on grinned. The sight hit Noctis like a warm wave of golden sand, flooding his whole chest and tickling as it left. Gladio was smiling because of something he'd done and, shit, it felt so damn good.

Gladio lifted the pad slightly higher, still grinning, eyes willing Noctis to meet his challenge.

"Ten!" 

Crack! Noctis whipped his foot across again, hitting the pad with a satisfying bang and, if it was even possible, making Gladio grin even wider. 

"Change stance!" 

Noctis put his other leg in front, as per the instruction, thinking the captain would move along to the next person in line - but he didn't, keeping the pad steady in front. Gladio lowered it back down to Noctis' head height, then paused thoughtfully before bringing it back up to his own.

"One!" 

Noctis exhaled. Concentrate. He wasn't about to miss and disappoint the captain. 

Crack! 

Gladio actually laughed this time. He really seemed to be enjoying himself as he raised the pad back up to where he'd had it before. 

"Two!" 

Crack! 

Gladio met Noctis' eyes, beaming with pride, and Noctis allowed himself to smile back. 

"Damn, your kicks are good. You're doing really well, Cae--" then almost as suddenly as the smile had appeared, it dropped from Gladio's face again as he seemed to remember who he was talking to. "--Caelum." He frowned again. "...Keep it up." Then he was gone, that invisible wall brought back up between them again as he went to the next person in line. 

"Three!" 

Noctis kicked, trying to keep his gaze straight ahead and locked onto his imaginary target rather than follow the captain across. What the hell. He just couldn't understand why Gladio was determined to view him as a problem when it clearly looked like the third year didn't want to.

The strange behaviour continued and Noctis kind of wished Gladio wasn't the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, because the hot/cold treatment was not only damn confusing but it played terrible things on Noctis' heart: every smile and encouraging word thrown his way made his chest swell and every grimace and pinched look drained it just as painfully.

The session ended and Noctis met up with Ignis outside. The younger teen leant against the wall as Ignis bought drinks from the vending machine: three, one for each of them and Prompto, who they were still waiting for. 

"Good session, Noct?" 

"...Yeah. Think I'm getting the hang of the kicks especially."

"I thought so as well." Ignis handed a can to the freshman. "... And those other two seem to have lost interest in you, too."

"You mean Biggs and Wedge? Yeah, that was strange while it lasted," Noctis scoffed, opening up his drink and taking a swig.

"I think they realised you had substance to back up your style and that made _them_ back off," Ignis settled himself beside Noctis as he opened his own drink. 

They sat in a comfortable silence for a short while before Ignis spoke again. 

"I noticed the club captain has begun paying you in higher regard again, too."

Noctis pulled a face, holding the juice in his mouth as he thought about this statement, before swallowing it and replying, "Maybe. I'm not exactly sure what's going on in that big head of his."

Ignis smiled at the subtle insult. "I was watching. He seemed less on guard as the session progressed; a couple more weeks and he might open up completely again." The junior paused again. "...You'll have to let me know what happens."

Noctis looked across, not sure if he'd heard correctly.

"You're not gonna be able to see for yourself?" 

"...I've been considering Prompto's suggestion," Ignis lightly squeezed the can between his hands. "It may not be a bad idea to use the time perfecting my cooking skills and--" 

"Iggy," Noctis cut off the other with a smile. "Just say what you wanna do. You don't need to ask my permission." 

"Actually... I kind of do?" Ignis smiled back, eyebrows raised. 

Noctis laughed, leaning over to knock the tops off their arms together.

"Fine, then I'm _ordering_ you to go join. And to make something delicious. If you're gonna take Prompto's suggestion then you'd better listen to all of it - we'll be looking forward to the snacks you make."

"What's this about snacks?!" Prompto appeared just then, waving a greeting. 

"I'll explain in the car," Noctis grinned as Ignis handed the missing part of their trio his drink. 

So the weeks continued to pass and their routines became more settled. Once Prompto realised exactly how talented Ignis was and that 'No way, Noct, _Iggy's_ the one who makes your lunch for you?!' - it became a habit for the three to hang out together at lunchtimes too, Ignis making lunch for them all ("I'm making it regardless; increasing the quantity by one more portion won't make any difference."). It meant Ignis could openly check on Noctis at that time, so that was reason enough, but being on the receiving end of Prompto's enthusiastic gushing was admittedly a good enough reason on its own.

The time rolled by and the end of May came.

Noctis' back injury rarely caused him any problems anymore but he must have slept funny the night before because it felt unusually stiff that morning. He spent the day wriggling uncomfortably in his seat, trying his best to get it under control before club that afternoon.

Gladio had just about begun to simmer down to trying to hide his excitement at Noctis' talent with neutral indifference, rather than suspicious glares, so the freshman felt like he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He didn't want to miss karate for any reason.

"You sure you're OK?" Prompto looked a little concerned before he headed off to the archery hall. He wasn't aware of Noctis' injury but he'd noticed something was off with his friend.

"Yeah, no problem!" Noctis lied, feeling his back twinge even as he spoke. "I'll see you later," then he hurried into the changing rooms before Prompto could ask anything further. 

In hindsight, forcing himself to train was probably not a good idea for his body... But Noctis was stubborn to a fault and hated to quit. He managed to get through the warm up OK - it was mostly running drills and he felt like no one was really paying him much attention - and the chance to stretch fully on the floor felt pretty damn good, but when it came to lining up for techniques? That was a different story. 

"Left leg out, sitting stance, mid section punch!" Gladio called from the front, performing a perfect example with a shout. 

Noctis did as he was told, stepping wide as if sitting on a horse and sinking down with his hips. The position made him wince and when he threw the punch, trying to get the right technique by twisting his waist, the sharp jolt made him gasp rather than shout. Shit. He hoped Gladio didn't notice, but the captain's eyebrows were already furrowed slightly in his direction. At the next count, Noctis forced himself to punch without wincing even if it meant his technique wasn't as good.

If Gladio was still watching, Noctis chose to ignore him so he could concentrate better. He was definitely on the verge of a breakthrough dammit, no time to disappoint now. 

Noctis somehow got through the sitting stance drills (the blocks were a real bitch though - he grit his teeth more from annoyance than pain at how his attempts were more placing his arms in the right place rather than actual blocks, but that was the most he could do aside from giving up altogether) but when it came to kicking (why did it have to be _side_ kicks today of all days?) Noctis couldn't hide it any longer. Lifting his knee to waist height put enough strain on his back without trying to kick as well. 

"Caelum!" 

Noctis exhaled sharply, dropping his pathetic excuse for a leg swing to the ground again. Gladio chose another of the third years to take over then marched towards the freshman to drag him off to the side. 

"Changing rooms. Now."

Gladio stalked out of the dojo without a glance behind and Noctis knew better than not to follow. 

Once inside, Gladio shut the door and turned to face the first year, arms folded with a light frown. 

"You got a good reason for slacking off today? I've been watching you since the start and you've just been getting worse and worse." 

Noctis swallowed, not sure how to reply. He hadn't planned on being called out so soon - the session was barely halfway through. 

"Just when I thought you were showing some promise, too," Gladio continued over Noctis' silence.

Noctis floundered a little - he had too much pride to admit to his injury, especially in the face of a hint of praise.

"...I'll try better. Thanks for the warning," he forced himself to make eye contact, as much as he felt like running away. Not that there was a chance of doing that with Gladio blocking the doorway though. 

The captain met his eyes and they glared at each other for a moment. To be honest, Gladio was a little impressed by the freshman's defiance. He sighed. 

"Not gonna tell me, huh? And it wasn't a warning. I've been training long enough to know an injury when I see one." Gladio looked Noctis up and down. "Out with it then. Where's it hurt?" 

"Wha-- I'm not--" 

"--Spill it."

Noctis instinctively stepped back against the wall and Gladio raised an eyebrow. 

"Your back?" 

Noctis frowned harder and clenched his jaw. He didn't want to show his weakness but he wasn't a liar either. Gladio took the silence as confirmation.

"...It's fine, I'm not gonna hurt ya. Part of my job is to make sure you're not hurt." The captain took a step forward, one hand up. "Do you trust me?" 

Noctis felt a little strange being the one to eye the third year suspiciously when their roles had been reversed for the past couple of months, but on the plus side this showed Gladio didn't think so little of him not to care. 

"...It's an old injury," Noctis finally mumbled, looking away. "I can work through it."

"Let me be the judge of that." Gladio took another step forward and when Noctis didn't try to back away, he crossed the whole distance so he was standing directly in front. "...Can I take a look? Figured I'd ask you here in case you wanted a little privacy. Must be a reason you're trying to hide it."

Gladio's voice was deep and gentle and Noctis almost found himself nodding along before he caught himself. Showing the scar might bring up more questions than it was worth.

"...I'd rather you didn't."

"That's fine," Gladio had his hands on his hips now. "Can I touch it a little? See how tight the muscles are?" 

Noctis bit his lower lip and Gladio saw the response as worry. 

"I'm not gonna hurt ya, remember? I know a bit about this kind of thing. I'll be gentle."

This time Noctis did nod and the senior carefully spun him around by the shoulder. "Top or bottom?" 

"...lower spine."

"Got it."

Keeping one hand on his shoulder, Gladio pressed his palm softly yet firmly against where Noctis' right kidney was. He slowly spread his fingers out, tentatively searching and watching to see how the younger teen would react. Even through the gi, Gladio could tell Noctis was tense... But he didn't seem to mind when he pushed a little harder.

"Think you could just do a with a good massage and some rest," Gladio murmured, continuing to knead lightly against Noctis' flesh, bringing his other hand down to join in. "You shouldn't be overdoing things. You're still young, you know."

Noctis just nodded dumbly, his head hanging down against his chest. He didn't know what to do with his hands so opted for just clenching them against his thighs. Gladio's touch felt _good_. He seemed to know exactly which spots to press, effortlessly translating Noctis' muted whimpers as whether to push harder or ease off each place he thumbed against, firm rolling circles while his fingers spread down the freshman's torso, holding him in place. Noctis wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but it felt like it was over all too soon when Gladio finally pulled away. 

"Head home for today, OK? Get yourself a nice hot bath and we can see how you're feeling tomorrow, yeah? Always better to take a short rest out of choice than a long break out of force."

Noctis felt a little groggy from the massage and breathed an affirmative. 

"Right," Gladio clapped him against the upper arms, "get yourself changed, Caelum."

Noctis blinked up at the captain's retreating figure and managed to blurt out: "--Noctis!" 

Gladio paused in the doorway, twisting round to look at him again. "Hm?" 

"...Noctis. My name," Noctis stumbled. "You don't need to call me by my last name all the time."

Gladio stared for a moment, lightly chewing the inside of his cheek in thought.

"I mean, I call you Gladio, right? So you should call me Noctis. Or Noct."

"...Yeah," Gladio's frown slowly melted away, "sorry about that. Your surname just stuck with me for some reason." He smiled, a little sheepishly. "See you later then, Noct."

Then he was gone, leaving just the sound of his name in Noctis' ears and a faint blush threatening to spill onto his cheeks. Hell yeah, looked like he'd been right after all - that was what the freshman would call a definite breakthrough. Who would have thought there could've been a positive to having a shitty back? 

Noctis got changed quickly before checking the time on his phone. Still around half an hour before Ignis and Prompto would be done. He debated sticking around to wait for them, glancing out of the clubroom at the cloudless blue sky, when the thought of walking home himself suddenly came to mind. He was pretty sure he knew the way from sitting in the car every day and, if all else failed, he had GPS on his phone - it'd be impossible to get lost and who knew when the next time he'd get the chance to go out alone would be? 

Glancing around as he left the school - feeling like he was pulling off the crime of the century, which was ironic considering his background - Noctis headed down the tree lined path and towards the river. The drive took around 10 minutes so he estimated it would take him maybe half an hour or so to get home. He could text Ignis then rather than now, just in case his long time companion might try to convince him otherwise. 

The late afternoon sun shone brightly and Noctis enjoyed its gentle warmth against the cool Spring air. It was strange to think this was his first time walking outside the Manor alone, but he couldn't have asked for better weather. The streets were busy with other people, mostly groups of kids hanging out aimlessly, most of them looking to be in middle school or younger. It wasn't like Noctis had been out enough to be recognised amongst any rival gangs, and seeing the hordes of kids younger than himself gave him the confidence to relax and veer off the main road for a bit. 

He came to the river, where he should have followed the road across, but he decided to take the winding footpath down its bank as a scenic detour. He'd just clambered down to the water's edge when he spotted a girl in an elementary school uniform crawling through the grass on her hands and knees. She was alone and Noctis was curious, so he decided to call out to her. 

"Hey! You OK down there?" 

He wasn't expecting to see tears running down her face when she looked up at the sound of his voice. Without thinking, he jogged over. 

"Hey, hey... What happened? What's the matter?" 

Noctis wasn't used to young kids, let alone crying ones, but he had a kind heart and wanted to help despite his awkwardness. He stopped a short distance away, not wanting to scare her, with his hands up to show he didn't mean any harm.

The girl looked about 10 years old. She sat back on the grass, legs in a W shape, and gasped between holding back her sobs, "I d- dropped it! I... I thought it fell around here but I've looked and I've looked and I can't find it a- and I don't know what to do and--" she burst into fresh tears all over again.

Noctis dithered slightly, not wanting to be inappropriate by giving her a hug but also wanting to comfort her. He settled for just inching closer to crouch by her side. 

"...You mean you lost something? I can help you look for it if you tell me what it is?" 

The girl blinked up at him, still sniffling. 

"It's my necklace. My mum's necklace. She... she gave it to me and I was supposed to keep it safe. Big brother told me not to take it outside b- but I w- wanted to wear it and--" 

"Shh, sshh," Noctis tried to hush her, sensing talking about it would just make her tears worse again. "Lemme know what it looks like and I'll help, OK?" 

The girl wiped her eyes on her sleeves, seeming to understand. "It's silver, on a chain, and has two hearts linked together like this," she held up her fingers to demonstrate. 

"Got it," Noctis stood up again, feeling determined. "I'll help you look." He glanced along the river bank to make sure it wasn't shining anywhere obvious before asking, "Do you have a cellphone?" 

The girl nodded. 

"How about you call your mum or dad and let them know? They could come help too? I'm sure they won't be mad at you."

She sat quietly for a moment before answering.

"...I'll text my brother."

"All right." Noctis supposed it was better than nothing. 

He searched around the grass, a little further away from where the girl was looking, scanning carefully as he stepped slowly towards the river. The sun was still shining bright and Noctis was confident its rays would catch the jewellery as long as it was there somewhere.

They must have searched together for at least a good ten minutes. The girl was calmer now but becoming increasingly more despondent as the time dragged on. Noctis considered asking her name, but decided against it in case it made him look like a creep. 

Just as he thought she was about to give up, he thought he saw the glint of something by the water's edge. There was something thin caught on a twig poking out of the mud. 

No way. How could it have fallen all the way down there? 

"Hey!" Noctis caught the girl's attention again. "Is that it? On that stick?" 

The two of them headed over, being careful not to slip on the muddy bank.

"I... I can't see? Maybe?" The girl's eyes lit up as they got nearer. "I think it is! Oh!!" 

She was about to leap forwards to get it when Noctis grabbed her by the wrist.

"Wait, it's muddy!" He released her again quickly, not wanting to be weird. "I'll get it for you, OK?" 

The girl nodded, grateful.

Noctis stepped gingerly onto the grassy edge. Now they were closer, he could clearly see the chain sparkling almost mischievously against the wet mud - tantalisingly close but he would need to put his weight onto the mud to reach. Throwing his bag behind him, Noctis crouched down, lowering his centre of gravity for balance, stepping out and managing to catch the chain in his fingertips.

He heard the girl gasp behind him, just as his back chose that precise moment to seize up, he lost his footing and went sliding down into the river. 

"Oh no!! Mister! Are you OK?!" 

Thankfully, the river's edge wasn't deep - barely covering Noctis' waist - but the water was unexpectedly cold and the shock made the freshman freeze up and splutter. He tried to stand up but he couldn't seem to get his feet to grip against the pebbles properly. How _lame_. He'd come to save the day and ended up with his ass stuck in the river. He clenched his fingers together under the water... At least he'd managed to get the necklace.

"Iris?! What the hell are you doing down there?!!" 

Noctis recognised the voice, but before he could look round to check who it was he felt himself being hauled out of the river by the arms. 

"Ifrit's sake, I said to take a hot bath! Not jump in the damn river!!" 

The voice growled in his ear and Noctis let himself collapse against the familiar body, legs suddenly feeling too weak to stand. "-- _Ah_."

"Dammit, Iris, don't _cry_. I'm not mad at you. Thank Shiva you sent that text," the voice spoke over Noctis' head, then turned its attention back to him again. "Noct. Noct, are you OK?" 

Noctis laughed, feeling slightly out of it. "I'm fine. My legs just gave way." He finally brought his head up to look his saviour in the face. "Thanks, Gladio."

"Thanks, my ass. You're a damn idiot." Gladio hoisted Noctis' arm around his shoulder, holding the freshman firmly by the waist. "Iris, grab his bag. Our place isn't far from here; I'll take you back to get cleaned up."

Noctis was still too out of it to resist, so he gripped Gladio a little tighter and murmured, "OK."

Though, to be honest, he had the feeling Gladio wouldn't have taken no for an answer even if he'd tried to protest.


	4. I Didn't Know

As Noctis regained the strength in his legs, he all of a sudden remembered his reason for falling into the river in the first place.

"Wait a minute," he rubbed his fingers together just to double check it was still in his hand, then brought the necklace up to hang in front of Gladio. "Here, you should take this."

Gladio took it, one arm still firmly around Noctis' waist, immediately recognising what it was. He glanced across at his sister and frowned, looking like he wanted to say something else but stopping short just before. Iris was clearly still upset. 

"Gladdy, I--"

"--You can tell me what happened later," the senior interrupted, "and _I'll_ be keeping this," a small shake of the chain, "safe for now. Got it?" 

His voice was firm, but not without sympathy, and the young girl managed a small smile with her nod.

Gladio pocketed the jewellery and Noctis let go of the third year's shoulder. With the initial shock wearing off, he felt self-conscious enough to think they'd be better off with a little more distance between them again. 

"I um... I think I can walk myself again now."

Gladio looked across at him, and the first year almost thought he wouldn't let go too, but he did - although not before giving Noctis' waist a brief squeeze. 

"Sure," Gladio began to walk ahead. "Our place is only a couple of minutes from here. I'll give you something dry to change into," he reached across to try and take Noctis' bag from Iris, but his sister ran further in front, seemingly possessive. She shot Noctis a quick glance, cheeks faintly tinted pink against her puffy eyes. 

Noctis smiled and she immediately spun round and quickened her pace. He guessed she must have remembered he was a stranger and was just feeling shy. Gladio, on the other hand, rolled his eyes with a sigh.

Noctis caught up a little so the two teens were walking beside each other. His pants were clinging to his legs and his feet squelched uncomfortably with every step, the noise more apparent as they left the grass to walk on the asphalt; he glanced down at them to wriggle his toes in his shoes. He only noticed then that the bottom of Gladio's pants were also wet and so too, by extension, were his feet. Of course they were - how else would he have dragged him out from the river?

"...How's your back feeling?" 

Noctis was brought back to attention again at the third year's question.

"Yeah," Noctis suddenly felt a little guilty. "It's fine. I think I must've just leant funny back there, to fall down, I mean. I mean, it's definitely feeling better. Doesn't hurt at all right now, actually. I think that massage really helped, you know?" 

He was aware he was babbling but Noctis couldn't seem to make himself sound more coherent. Fortunately, Gladio just grinned in response.

"Yeah? Just say the word and I'll give you another."

Whether he was teasing or not, Noctis couldn't tell, and he swallowed a little dumbly in the face of Gladio's smile - still not entirely used to being on the receiving end of them - struggling to think of anything witty to reply with. Ignis would surely be laughing (or smirking smugly, rather) if he could see Noctis now, always complaining the younger teen was too snarky for his own good. Even Noctis himself wasn't used to feeling tongue-tied like this. 

"Here's us," Gladio nodded his head towards a modest sized apartment block. Iris was already bouncing up the metal steps and towards one of the grey doors on the second floor. Noctis had expected Gladio to live somewhere grander for some reason - maybe to match the pedestal he'd placed the captain on in his head - and he followed along curious to see what it'd be like inside. 

The freshman watched as Iris fished around in her bag for a key, pulling one out which was attached to a key chain of a moogle with a fluffy pink pompom.

"...I didn't bring a gift," Noctis remembered his manners a little too late. 

"S'fine," Gladio scoffed, ushering Noctis in behind his sister and turning to lock the door. "No one else here aside from me and Iris."

Noctis took off his shoes and Gladio leant them against the heater, next to his own.

"Take your socks off too," Gladio spoke as he did so himself, "then you can jump in the shower. The machine'll take half an hour if you wanna wait while I wash your things - or I can pack 'em in a bag if you'd rather take 'em home?"

Home? Shit, Noctis had forgotten about home!

"Ah, don't worry about washing, thanks," Noctis glanced around, Iris already having disappeared inside. "I need to call home and tell them where I am. I think my cell's still inside my bag."

"You do that while I get the bathroom ready then," Gladio led Noctis into the main room, where his bag was left upright on the couch. Iris could be heard in the kitchen, splashing water. Washing her face maybe?

The apartment was small but well kept, minimalist in style and everything neatly in place. The main room was a comfortable size for two, maybe three, people: a folding couch along one wall, in front of a storage cupboard and facing a TV in the corner, a bookshelf along the other beside a rectangular dining table, a sliding glass door onto a small balcony and a stylish geometric rug in the centre. The kitchen was off to the side, its entrance nestled in between what looked like the doors to the bedroom and bathroom respectively. To Noctis' surprise, it seemed like the apartment only had the one bedroom.

"Don't take too long," Gladio called across from where he was rummaging in the cupboard. "You need to get out of those wet clothes."

"...Thanks," Noctis replied as he pulled out his phone. Damn. A ton of texts and missed calls, as expected. He wandered back towards the entrance hall as he pulled up Ignis' contact.

The other teenager answered on the first ring. 

" _Noct?! Where are you?? What happened?!_ " 

If Ignis was the type to swear, Noctis was sure he would've dropped a curse word or two into his questions. 

"Sorry, Iggy. I'm fine, I just lost track of time. I'm um... I'm with Gladio."

 _"The club captain??_ " 

"Yeah, it's kinda a long story but I'm at his apartment and I'm about to take a shower. My pants got all er... wet."

There was a short pause: Ignis clearly trying to process this information and Noctis belatedly realising what he'd said sounded like it could have been suggesting. 

"No, not like that!" he forced himself not to blush. "Look, I'll tell you later. Can you do me a favour and stall for a bit?" He lowered his voice a little, worried one of the siblings might hear, and hissed, "Dad hasn't done anything crazy and sent out a search party or anything, has he??"

Ignis sighed audibly.

" _No, he's had no reason to yet. I simply informed the driver the karate club had overrun and I would return to the car once you were finished. Since then, Prompto and I have been searching the school and trying to contact your phone_."

Noctis exhaled with relief.

"Sorry, guys. And Iggy, you're a genius. You know that?" 

" _Yes, you've told me many times before._.." He sighed again, less exasperated this time. " _Is half an hour long enough?_ " 

"...Make it 45," Noctis bargained, unsure why but reluctant to leave.

"... _Text me the address and I'll come pick you up._ "

"Will do."

Noctis hung up, feeling a lot lighter. Thank Bahamut for Ignis.

"You done?" Gladio looked up as Noctis returned to the main room to put away his phone, handing the freshman a fresh towel and a folded pile of clothes. 

"Yeah, thanks. Just need to text your address so I can get picked up."

Gladio took Noctis by the shoulders, turning him round and steering him towards the bathroom. "No problem, but it can wait until after you're out of that uniform before you catch a damn cold."

Noctis ducked his head, feeling a little embarrassed as he was marched along.

"...K."

He wasn't used to taking orders except from his father, Clarus or Cor, but somehow Noctis didn't mind when Gladio manhandled him into doing what he wanted.

Like the rest of the apartment, the bathroom was clean and orderly. Noctis placed his things on the side, noticing there were only two toothbrushes by the sink. Earlier, had Gladio meant it really was just he and Iris living there, and not that his parents would just be home later? Noctis stripped himself off, folding his wet uniform into the carrier bag hanging from the door, and stepped into the shower.

The hot water jetted out smoothly and it wasn't until the stream hit that Noctis realised how welcome the warmth was against his clammy skin. There were only a few bottles on the bath's ledge - a fruit scented bodywash, a separate shampoo and conditioner, and a deep blue gel which looked to be an all-in-one shampoo and soap. Noctis grabbed the last one, assuming it was Gladio's, and was pleasantly surprised by the familiar scent. It reminded him of training, brief moments of close contact when they were partners in stretching or sparring, and the memories filled Noctis with a warm feeling of comfort. He finished soaping up his body and decided to wash his hair too - not because he needed to, but because a part him wanted that scent to engulf him just that much more strongly.

He rinsed down, switched off the water and got himself dry, ending with a rough towelling to his head. He'd need to borrow a brush afterwards; even through the steamed up mirror, the freshman could see his hair sticking up wildly in all directions. 

Noctis unfolded the clothes he'd been given: a hoodie - probably a couple of sizes too large - what looked like the pants from Gladio's old middle school uniform, and... a pair of boxers?? Noctis paused. They clearly weren't new so they must belong to the captain. That... wasn't weird, was it? They were clean - Noctis held them up between both hands, almost tempted to smell them to check but then shook his head to get _that_ idea out of his head - they were _definitely_ clean. So... nothing strange about it, right? 

He paused for a short while longer, wondering why on Eos he felt so weird about it - not uncomfortable, just _weird_ \- before finally exhaling sharply and tugging the damn things on. They were a little loose, but boxers were supposed to be, so it was fine. His mind briefly wondered if they were also loose on Gladio, but then that train of thought led him to imagining how large his senior's crotch area was, and no no _no_ totally not appropriate thoughts right there! Noctis hurriedly pulled on the rest of the clothes, swallowing down his embarrassment and feeling grateful for the hot shower as an excuse for why his face might be so red. 

He rubbed at his hair one more time for good measure, chucked the towel into the laundry basket, and quickly exited the bathroom again - as if getting out of that room would get him away from those awkward thoughts. 

"Hey, feeling better?" 

Gladio came out of the kitchen, a tray of snacks in his hands, and placed it upon the table. He'd already changed out from his uniform into a hoodie, similar to the one Noctis was now wearing - though it obviously fit him correctly.

"Yeah, much better thanks," Noctis ran a hand through his hair. "D'you have a comb or something I could borrow?" 

"Sure," Gladio grinned, taking in the sight of the freshman slightly drowning in the oversized hoodie but somehow or other making it look good. "Sorry about the pants - they're the only ones I've kept that looked around your size," he handed Noctis a comb and gestured towards where there was a mirror on the wall before the entrance hall.

"No, it's fine," Noctis felt himself flushing more at the captain's warm voice, deep and heavy like treacle. Wearing his clothes and bathed in his scent, he almost felt like he was being hugged as the older teen spoke. The sensation made under his skin tingle pleasantly and he was glad he had a reason to look away, focusing on himself in the mirror. 

"Um... is your sister - was it Iris? - is she OK?" he tried to change the conversation away from himself, not seeing the young girl anywhere. 

"Yeah, Iris is fine. She told me what happened," Gladio took a seat at the table, pushing the chair opposite out with his foot, inviting Noctis to join him. "Thanks for helping her out. She's a little clumsy sometimes but she's not a bad kid." Gladio noticed the first year glancing around for her. "I sent her to her room to get started on some homework before dinner."

Noctis sat down and Gladio placed a glass of juice in front of him. 

"I kinda wanted to speak to you without her here," the captain continued, leaning back again in his chair to rub at the back of his neck and frowning lightly at the table.

Noctis took a sip, not really sure what to say. It was kind of odd seeing Gladio looking uncomfortable - considering his size and usually confident demeanour - and the sight reminded him of an oversized puppy, or a teddy bear: _cute_. Maybe 'cute' wasn't the right word to use but... Yeah, Gladio was being cute. Adorable, in fact. A smile slipped onto Noctis' face without him realising.

"I think I owe you an apology, Noct," Gladio murmured, worrying the edge of his lower lip in his teeth. "I um... got thrown a little by your name and made some stupid ass assumptions but," he looked up again, "now I've gotten to know you better, I can see you're not a bad guy. I dunno if you noticed but I've probably been giving you a bit of a stink eye for a while, and... Yeah, that was wrong. Sorry."

However puzzled Noctis may have felt, the mere notion that Gladio thought he might've been hiding his blatant dislike the past few months made the freshman purse his lips together to keep himself from laughing. 

"No, it's OK," Noctis managed to reply. "I mean, I noticed but I still don't have a clue why. You didn't like my name?" 

Gladio folded his arms. "Not a case of liking it or not, it's more--" he paused, looking at Noctis curiously. "Your dad, what's he do for a living?" 

"He's a businessman," Noctis stated easily without missing a beat, the answer having been drilled into him since childhood.

Gladio nodded. "Right? He must be 'cause you're a good guy - no way you would be otherwise 'cause..." he paused again, shifting in his seat. "This is gonna sound crazy, but just hear me out, OK?"

Noctis nodded, taking another sip of juice. 

"The Caelums I know, that name... It's a name which is pretty famous in one area only." Gladio cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "The name Caelum?"

He paused, catching Noctis' eye.

"It belongs to the _yakuza_. Not just any yakuza either, but probably the biggest syndicate in Insomnia."

Noctis tried his hardest not to, but he choked a little as he swallowed his juice. 

"W- what?"

"Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy 'cause there's no way you'd be one of 'em but... I couldn't help being suspicious and that made me act like a jerk."

Noctis swallowed again, forcing himself to hold Gladio's gaze and hoping his eyes weren't actually as wide as they felt. 

"But, where on Eos would you have heard _my_ name linked to.. to yakuza mobs??"

Gladio frowned, breathing out deeply.

"...You know, I can't think of any people I've told this to, but... Hell, think of it as my apology." The third year looked resolutely at Noctis. "It's all in the past - nothing to do with me at all now, I swear - but my parents... They were... Well, not out of choice, but my mother, she was born into one of the Caelum branch families. A distant second cousin or something."

Noctis felt like his breath had left his chest. But if Gladio had noticed, he likely put it down to how anyone would react to finding out you had links to the mafia. 

"She was brought up with that life and married another gang member - someone quite high up, apparently. But when I came along and things became more dangerous, trying to keep me safe from that world, she wanted out. She told me she begged my old man to leave, but he wouldn't."

Gladio took one of the rice crackers from the table, biting into it thoughtfully, not making eye contact anymore. 

"They fought a lot, apparently. Years of fighting on and off. Then Iris was born and she'd had enough. Something about my old man being a target and a bullet barely missing him while he was holding Iris in the Manor garden - I don't know the details. But my sister was only a damn baby. Mum couldn't take it anymore. Gave him the choice of leaving with us or she'd walk out."

Gladio finished the rest of the cracker in one bite. 

"Damn old man chose his 'family' over his real family. Abandoned us just like that: Iris was 2 so she doesn't remember, but I was 8. I mean, my memories of being in the Manor are kind of blurry, but I remember enough to know he betrayed us."

Noctis struggled to find his voice, one question burning in his mind, especially with all the clues pointing to Gladio and Iris living alone: "...What happened to your mum? I.. I mean, was she...?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question, knowing exactly how some members viewed leaving the family and what the punishment for being a traitor was.

Gladio blinked up at the younger teen, realising what he was hinting at. 

"What? No, no, she wasn't attacked. Fuck, can you imagine how messed up that would've been?!" Gladio smiled wryly. "No, that was the only thing my old man did right. Must've used his power to pull some strings so we weren't bothered by anyone..." 

Noctis let out the breath he didn't realise he was holding as Gladio continued.

"But it wasn't easy. Mum worked hard to afford this place for us, saving up so she could eventually buy it. It's not as far from the Manor as I'd like, but the price is good and the area's familiar. We've been here for almost 10 years now, believe it or not... So yeah," Gladio finished, leaning his head against his fist, elbow on the table as he looked Noctis up and down, "the name Caelum doesn't sit well with me. It's kinda unfortunate you got it, but.. Well ain't no one who could make the yakuza connection unless they were part of that world too. And if anyone tries to give you any trouble, you can just send them my way."

Gladio grinned at the end and his smile felt too bright for the topic they were discussing. Noctis was feeling a little dizzy from the information overload.

"...Thanks," he forced out, really not knowing what else to say. 

"No, thank _you_ , Noct," Gladio's expression softened, serious again. "Mum wasn't killed off by some yakuza cronies, but she did pass away last year. Cancer of all things - too far advanced to treat, not that we could've afforded it even if it weren't."

"...I'm sorry," Noctis breathed. "I didn't know."

"No, it's OK. Iris felt it the hardest, I think. I can't blame her for wanting to wear that necklace all the time but..." Gladio reached over to clap a hand against Noctis' shoulder. "Seriously, thanks for helping her find it. You're a good guy, Noct. If I didn't know before, this just proves it to me - no way you're one of _those_ Caelums."

Gladio's eyes were a deep amber, soft yet intense, and Noctis felt himself staring - had they always been that _pretty_ , the way they caught the light like that? And, what was that, Gladio was convinced he was just a regular civilian after all? 

His phone rang just then, the series of beeps jolting Noctis out from his stupor. 

"...Shit," he blinked himself back to attention, pushing himself up from the table to answer it. "...I forgot to text your address."

Ignis wasn't impressed with the lack of communication, but he managed to hold back from giving any major criticism as he was finally able to get the information he needed from the freshman.

Iris peeked out from round the corner as she heard Noctis was leaving, wanting to catch one more glimpse of the teenager as he pulled on his shoes, dry again from the heater. 

"Thanks again for the clothes," Noctis shrugged into the hoodie, burying his cheeks in the warm folds of material. "I'll get them back to you ASAP."

"No worries," Gladio leant against the wall of the entrance hall. "Take your time."

Noctis nodded, turning to open the door, then pausing with his fingers on the handle, feeling like he should say something else. 

"...Thanks for trusting me, too. For telling me all that stuff today." He twisted round to meet Gladio's eyes. "That meant a lot."

The third year chuckled, stepping forward to place a large hand against Noctis' back. "Sure. Now get outta here - and take it easy tonight." He ran his palm smoothly down the other teen's spine, making Noctis drop his head back forwards at the touch. "I'd like to see you at club tomorrow so don't do anything else strenuous."

Noctis breathed a laugh. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow... Take care."

And he left to where Ignis was waiting for him outside, glad for the bunched up hood around his neck to hide the blush from feeling the captain murmur so close against his ear.


	5. ...I Dun Wanna Eat The Carrots

"...Are you gonna invite him round again?"

Gladio looked over to where his sister was hanging off the doorframe.

"You want me to?" he tried his best to keep his face as neutral as possible as he brushed past, lightly ruffling her hair as he went.

"He should've stayed for dinner," Iris huffed, using two hands to shove her brother's arm away. "How d'you know him, anyway?" she followed to the kitchen as Gladio cleared up the tray from the table.

"He's a freshman from club."

"Ohh," Iris leant on the counter, head in her hands, watching as he put the snacks away. "He didn't look like a third year."

"Yeah, he's not."

Gladio began washing up and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"...What's his name?" 

"What's it to you?" Gladio couldn't help but tease, knowing exactly why his sister was asking so many questions. 

"Tell me!" she whined, pressing her cheek flat onto the worktop so Gladio could open the cupboard above her head. "You made me stay in my room while you two talked - it's not fair! I didn't get to thank him properly!" 

Gladio laughed, "His name's Noctis."

"Noctis..." Iris repeated, testing out the name for herself. "That's nice..." She pushed herself back up to standing, pouting across at her brother. " _He_ was nice. Invite him over again." An order this time, not a request. 

Gladio grinned as he began putting together dinner. 

"...I'll think about it."

//

Noctis tottered across the gravel, half running as he made a beeline towards the back of the garden. He wasn't being naughty, because they'd said he could go play as soon as he'd finished eating... And he _had_ finished eating because he didn't want to eat the carrots. So leaving them on the plate wasn't naughty and he was allowed to go play because he was finished.

He _wasn't_ being naughty, but... he'd better just hide out by the pond just in case. 

The five year old dropped to his knees and scrambled under the branches of one of the bushes there. He'd found the hiding place only recently while exploring: if he went through that gap, there was a clearing inside the thicket big enough for him to sit comfortably with room above his head or stretch out flat onto the ground in a star shape with plenty of space around - a naturally formed den and a secret base just for him. 

He crawled into the centre and peeked out through the leaves back towards the manor. No one seemed to be following him. Good. 

The young boy picked up a strong looking twig from the ground and began scratching at the dirt, digging a little hole. He'd started it the last time he was in there and wanted to see how deep he could make it, soon absorbed completely in the task. 

He didn't know how long he'd been there when all of a sudden, the leaves in front of him rustled and Noctis looked up in surprise.

"--Ah."

Another boy was staring him in the eyes, flat on his stomach, one forearm in the dirt and the other pushing up the branch above his head.

Noctis opened his mouth to say something and the other boy's eyes widened in shock. "Sshh!!" he hissed and finished wriggling himself inside. Then he pulled himself up onto his knees and twisted round to peek out through the foliage, similar to how Noctis had done so himself. 

"...Are you hiding?" Noctis whispered, wondering who the boy was.

The manor was large and there were lots of people Noctis had never met before: the ones he had just called him "Young master" from a distance as he hid shyly behind someone's legs, not expected to reply. Besides which, his dad was always busy and hadn't introduced him to any of the underlings apart from the maids or the ones who directly looked after him. He knew there were other children around, but he'd never played with them before. 

The boy was not much older but definitely bigger. He had a light golden tan and chestnut coloured hair, its short bristles sticking up messily. He was wearing a karate gi and the thick white material had muddy streaks along its elbows and knees. A small scab had dried brown across the centre of his nose and a longer redder one nicked his cheek. Noctis thought he looked rough but kind of cool.

The boy nodded, amber eyes glinting in the afternoon sun, face dappled with shadows from the leaves surrounding them.

"Cor said they're doing conditioning today. I _hate_ conditioning!" the boy whispered in reply, sneaking another look over his shoulder. 

Noctis blinked. "What's con-dish-un-in?" 

"It's when you get hit again and again to make ya stronger! N' if you say that it hurts then ya get hit again for not tensing your stomach properly!"

Noctis grabbed onto the boy's arm and nodded with understanding, eyes wide, "Hide with me!"

The boy grinned, glancing down at the younger kid's concerned grip around his sleeve.

"Yeah! Why're _you_ hiding for? You in trouble?" 

Noctis shook his head. He wasn't because he wasn't being naughty... But... 

"...I dun wanna eat the carrots."

The boy snickered, "I'd rather eat carrots than get hit. Carrots are good for ya! You wanna swap places?" 

Noctis pulled a face, "No, I'm digging." He shuffled back to reveal the hole in the dirt. "Y'can help if ya want?"

"...Ok."

The older boy picked up a stick - and Noctis noticed approvingly that he chose a strong looking one too - and they got to work, huddled together in the shade from the late summer sun.

"Where's he gone?!" a loud voice complained a short distance away and both boys looked up at each other, freezing momentarily. 

"If I knew we wouldn't be lookin' for him!" another voice replied, exasperated. "The boss's gonna go crazy if we don't find him soon!" Then came the sound of stones scattering beneath their feet as they hurried away again. 

Noctis and the boy stared at each other, not knowing which of the two the men were talking about, then burst into grins at the same time.

//

His alarm went off and Noctis rolled over to turn it off, blinking his bleary eyes open with great effort, then squeezing them shut again and sinking back down against the pillow. Five more minutes.

Fragments of his dream came back to him slowly as he dozed - the warmth of the sun, the smell of dirt and leaves, a smile and amber eyes - and Noctis wondered when exactly he'd forgotten about the boy he'd been friends with all those years ago. He tried but he couldn't remember his face and Noctis pondered why he'd dreamt about him now of all times... Maybe from talking to Gladio the day before?

He considered asking Ignis - but Gladio said he'd left the manor when he was eight, which would've made Noctis five or six, which would've made Ignis six or seven, which was around the time he'd come to the manor, and he'd not met Noctis until after he'd trained with Cor for how long so would he have even met Gladio in the first place-- and it was _way_ too early for all this maths and thinking about the past. Maybe it didn't matter, anyway.

Noctis hadn't told Ignis anything about what happened the day before, just the part about falling in the river while getting the necklace and apologising for the bright idea of walking home by himself without telling anyone. He didn't mention Gladio's past because even though the senior hadn't explicitly said to, Noctis felt like he was expected to keep it secret. In any case, Gladio clearly had no intention of returning (as if his blatant disdain for the yakuza, and in particular Noctis' family, wasn't obvious enough) so there was no benefit in digging up things which didn't concern him.

The alarm went off again and Noctis begrudgingly got up. Oh well. This didn't have to change anything. He only had a short time to enjoy at high school - better not waste it mixing things up with the mafia lifestyle he was trying to ignore. 

He glanced across at where he'd left Gladio's clothes hanging on the back of a chair, unwashed for the moment. The captain had said he could take his time returning them, and surely it was reasonable not to expect them back the next day so they'd have time to be cleaned and dried, so Noctis felt there was no harm in keeping them for another day or two. The hoodie really was very comfy - not just because it smelt good and made him feel like he was being hugged. He _honestly_ liked it for the design. The pants were neither here nor there and the boxers? 

He was still wearing the boxers, because they at least deserved a full day's wear out of them.

Definitely for no other reason. 

\----------

Prompto had accosted him in the classroom, just as Noctis had settled himself at his desk, by dramatically throwing his arms around Noctis' neck in a hug from behind. 

"Noct, my man! So good of you to show up where you're supposed to be!" 

Prompto buried his chin against the whorl in Noctis' hair, nuzzling him like an overexcited puppy, clearly trying not to laugh. 

Noctis did laugh, batting his friend away with the back of his hand. 

"Hey, that tickles! And you're messing up my hair!" 

" _Oh,_ my _deepest_ apologies," Prompto hung there for a moment longer before releasing his mock embrace and swinging himself round into his seat. "Seriously though, good to see you again, Noct," he grinned, leaning his elbows over the back of his chair as always. 

"Yeah, sorry for worrying you guys yesterday," Noctis smiled, mussing his fingers through his scalp to straighten up his hair. 

"I wasn't worried," Prompto shook his head, bringing one hand up over his heart with a theatrical sigh, "just hurt you stood us up like that." He smiled again, more softly this time. "Iggy though, he was definitely worried about you. Never seen him so panicked before!" 

"...Yeah?" Noctis felt a little guilty all over again.

"Yeah, it's kinda nice how much he cares about you... He was properly flustered - for Ignis' standards. Looked like he thought he was gonna get killed or something for not knowing where you were!" 

OK, Noctis felt a _lot_ guilty. Prompto didn't know how close to the truth his words were - maybe not _killed_ , but not far off if his dad was in the wrong kind of mood. He made a mental note to apologise to Ignis again later. 

"Yeah, I honestly just lost track of time..."

"So, where were you then? You said in your text you were too tired last night and would tell me 'later'... Now is later!" 

Noctis recounted as much as was relevant and Prompto listened along attentively. Every time he mentioned Gladio, however, Noctis noticed Prompto's smile become increasingly more sly and start to look increasingly more like a smirk. 

"...What."

"What?" 

"Why're you grinning like that?" 

"I'm not!" Prompto protested, pressing his lips together. 

The teacher came in to start homeroom just then and Prompto spun round - but Noctis definitely saw a distinctly guileful smile playing across the freckled blonde's mouth before he did so.

\----------

In the dojo that afternoon, Noctis was pleased to discover there was no awkwardness between himself and the captain: part of him had been worried Gladio might have regretted telling him all that he had and the senior might return to pushing him away again - but he hadn't. Gladio was just as warm as always, treating Noctis with the same firm affability as he did all the other club members.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye and Noctis found himself blinking up at Gladio as the session ended. 

"Good job today, Noct." The third year leaned over to murmur in Noctis' ear, "I was worried your back might've been playing up again from yesterday but you looked like you were doing just fine."

Noctis knew he'd lowered his voice to respect Noctis' privacy, but the smooth rumble and the soft breath caressing his cheek reminded Noctis of leaving his apartment the evening before, and he had to fight hard not to start blushing again. 

"Yeah, I'm feeling fine," Noctis nodded, looking up with a soft smile.

Gladio leaned back, looking pleased. "Glad ta hear it. Listen, you got a few minutes to spare? I've been curious for a while but been too pigheaded to ask you..."

"Sure?" Noctis found himself agreeing a bit too quickly, curious as to what Gladio wanted. 

"You wanna practice some grappling? I got the feeling you've done some before and I'm a bit rusty. Not had the chance to train it much between karate club and everything else going on..."

"Yeah, sure!" Noctis nodded, standing up a little straighter. "I've done aikido since I was a kid, if that's any good?" 

"That's perfect!" Gladio grinned. "I thought you might've done. Come on, let's get onto the mats."

Noctis followed behind, feeling slightly important. Then he laughed, "Hey, that explains how you threw me back in that first session. That bugged me for ages how you could do that - I didn't know people still did throws in karate."

Gladio grinned, "Yeah, my old man trained me in all sorts when I was a kid - then I ended up carrying them all on even after. Guess it was something familiar and something I was good at."

They positioned themselves opposite each other, both in a ready stance, knees slightly bent. 

"We can take turns attacking. I won't keep you long, just a few rounds."

"It's fine, let's go for it. I'll attack first and we can keep it flowing from there?"

"Great," Gladio relaxed into his stance, palms open and waiting.

The younger teen led with a simple snap punch to the face. Gladio deflected it without effort, catching Noctis' wrist in one hand and running his other down the freshman's arm to push on his shoulder. It was a simple arm lock, easy to put on and easy to get out of if you knew how - testing the waters to see what the other could do.

Noctis pulled his arm tight against his body and twisted himself round sharply to face the captain, breaking the hold and striking his palm against the older teen's broad chest. He caught the wrist of the arm which was just grabbing him, his fingers quickly finding the right position to twist the joint in just the right way to make his opponent drop to their knees when applied. 

Gladio reacted swiftly, bending his arm and moving with the attempted lock, pulling their bodies close together as his foot hooked behind Noctis' ankle, and swept him neatly to the floor. 

Noctis knew how to break fall, slamming his free arm out from instinct, but Gladio had the throw under control and lifted the freshman gently to the ground, finishing on top with their faces barely inches apart. 

"One point to me," Gladio smirked and Noctis couldn't help but grin back. 

"One more time!" 

Although they'd intended to only go for a short while, once they started they both became absorbed in the dance and in each other: trying to predict what the other would do next, becoming more familiar with their movements, the feel of their muscles, how their body responded to each push or pull, the sound of their breath and the light scent of musk as they would end each bout pressed together on the floor. More often than not, Gladio would end up on top, but Noctis didn't seem to mind and they'd stopped keeping track of a score. It had been months since he'd done any proper grappling and it was fun seeing what his body could remember and what the captain would surprise him with next. 

"I thought you said you were rusty?" Noctis panted up from beneath the third year, back flat against the floor, one leg bent and Gladio straddling the one which was straight, his large arm pushed across Noctis' chest and pinning him to the mats. "Feels like I've spent more time beneath you than on top."

Gladio chuckled, slightly breathless. The first year was complaining but he didn't look upset. His face was flushed and a light sheen graced his delicate features - deceptively soft compared to what Gladio knew he was capable of. His gi had become dishevelled from their play fighting, loosened now at the top, exposing the freshman's pale collarbone and the faint droplets of sweat pooling in its dip. Noctis smirked, relaxing beneath Gladio's weight, looking more defenceless than he was with the late afternoon sun streaming in through the windows - and for a moment, the third year thought he almost looked strangely beautiful. 

He pushed himself up, reaching out a hand to help the other teen up too.

"What can I say? Guess I'm just naturally talented."

Noctis scoffed at the fake boast and Gladio laughed, too modest to really mean what he'd said.

"Thanks, Noct. We should do this more often."

Noctis accepted his hand readily, hoisting himself off the ground and using Gladio's bicep for support. He was small, but the third year noticed there was a quiet strength behind his limbs - like tempered steel, cut sharp and precise. Gladio couldn't help but find Noctis intriguing, now his mind wasn't clouded with suspicious dislike, the feeling even more so the more he got to know him. 

"I don't mind," Noctis replied, still slightly breathless. "I had fun."

"Yeah, me too," Gladio met his gaze, hands still locked together, and for a brief moment everything seemed to stop: it was just the two of them in an empty dojo, the air warm and heavy from exercise and something else... something familiar and comforting yet at the same time scary and new, and they searched the other's eyes for an answer, both feeling it but not sure if the other did too, almost forgetting to breathe from the needling sensation prickling against their skin - the sense of something _there_ but too elusive to catch and name. 

"Helloooo??" 

A sing-song voice calling from the doorway blinked them both back to attention. 

"Noct, you gotta stop standing us up like this!" 

Prompto waved from the entrance, pointing at his watch, then grinned when he saw how the two were standing so close to each other, hands still clasped together. 

"Oh," Noctis finally let go, stepping away from the third year. "I forgot my friends're waiting for me."

Gladio laughed, the strange moment lost as subtly as it had come. "You seem to be forgetting things a lot lately. Better sort that out before exam season."

Noctis grinned, "Thanks for the advice," then called across to his classmate. "Just gimme a minute to change!" 

" _One_ minute!" Prompto called back, holding up one finger for emphasis with a smirk, then stepped backwards and disappeared from the doorway again.

"Come on," Gladio patted Noctis lightly on the small of his back, pushing him forward so he could follow behind to the changing rooms. 

They got dressed quickly, their bags happening to be on opposite sides of the changing rooms. Gladio found himself glancing across for some reason, catching the moment the freshman was changing his pants and... those weren't still _his_ boxers, were they, dark grey and black and slightly too loose? He looked away again quickly, feeling happy but unsure why, and finished folding his uniform neatly into his bag. 

"Ah, I left my bottle in the dojo," Noctis announced, crouching down to check it hadn't just rolled onto the floor. "Can you tell my friends I'm just gonna grab it?" 

"Sure," Gladio smiled, pulling his bag onto his shoulder. 

He wandered down to where there were two blondes sitting outside on the low wall near the vending machine, recognising the younger one from earlier.

"Hey, you two Noct's friends?" he opened the hand holding his bag's strap to flash his palm in a casual wave as he approached. "He's just grabbing his water bottle from the dojo."

"Yep, that's us! Thanks!" the younger one replied with a smile, biting into a piece of cake. "I'm Prompto and this is Iggy."

Ignis nodded in greeting, not bothering to correct with his full name.

"Gladio," the captain introduced himself though really there was no need. "Oh hey, you're the guy who used to watch from the gallery at the start of term."

Ignis cocked his head with a smile and Prompto answered for him, "Yeah, he used to just stand around waiting for Noct to finish but he's joined the Home Ec club since - he's real good!" and he lifted the last bite of cake into the air with a proud nod. 

"Here, take one," Ignis held out the container for Gladio to reach inside. 

"...Smells good."

"They're for Noct," Prompto grinned. "Like a punishment for bailing out on us yesterday, but Iggy's too much of a softie to force Noct to eat veggies straight!" 

Gladio took a bite, vague fond memories nudging at the back of his mind. 

"...Carrot cake?" 

"Literally the _only_ time the guy'll eat carrots, apparently," Prompto laughed.

"It's a good trick," Gladio's expression softened. "I used the same thing with my kid sister."

"It's debatable how much nutrition is left by the end, but it's the principle more than anything," Ignis smirked, enjoying the sight of the older teen enjoying his food. 

Gladio licked his lips approvingly, "Well, you're right, these're good! I was gonna complain about you not joining _our_ club - you spent enough time hanging around - but I'll let ya off the hook with these," he finished with a grin. 

"I'm surprised you noticed I was there," Ignis commented. "You don't seem to be paying much attention to the people up there..."

"Yeah..." Gladio ducked his head, almost uncharacteristically soft, "don't see the sense in leading anyone on. I ain't got time for messing around outside of club." Then he looked up again, confident once more. "Couldn't not notice _you_ though - surrounded by girls like that. I think if ya stayed a little longer you might've got yourself some fans of your own."

Noctis appeared just then, before Ignis could reply to the third year's grin, looking between the other three. 

"Hey, I got it. You guys ready to go?" 

"Hey, man!" Prompto greeted the other freshman cheerfully. "Sit and have some cake first! Iggy made it with you in mind!" he took the box from the second year, thrusting it in Noctis' face.

"...Cake?" 

"Mmhm," Prompto helped himself to another, unable to fight his sweet tooth. "Iggy said it's your _favourite_."

Noctis took a slice, suspiciously, then snickered when he realised what it was. 

"Yeah... My favourite kind of carrots."

//

"I got in so much trouble 'cos of you!" 

Noctis looked up from where he was crouching by the pond, watching the koi swim lazily beneath the surface. The boy was standing next to him with his hands behind his back - but although his statement sounded cross, the expression on his face told otherwise.

"Ya never told me y'were the head boss' kid!" 

Noctis bit his lip. The thought hadn't crossed his young mind to introduce himself - everyone else in the manor already seemed to know who he was.

"I didn't know," he replied slowly; he meant to say he didn't know he was meant to tell him, but had left off the end of the sentence. 

The boy grinned, "My dad gave me a good fight for not knowing."

"...You fight with your dad??" Noctis blinked up, disbelieving. 

"Yeah, we spar all the time! I hit him back good for not telling me properly though - 'cause how'm I supposed t'know who you are if no one's ever told me! - but then he got mad and didn't hold back." The boy sniffed, looking proud. "My dad's real strong, y'know."

Noctis frowned, not sure why the boy was pleased about being beat, but he looked happy so Noctis ended up smiling too. They hadn't seen each other for almost a week - not since they'd climbed out from under the thicket together looking for drinks, and one of the members had spotted them, grabbed the boy by the scruff of the neck and hauled him away.

"Dad said I gotta call you 'Young master'," the boy crouched down, grinning. "I asked him what yer name was n' he said I was a brat and didn't need t'know!"

Noctis laughed. It was funny hearing others were also called 'brat'. That was the name his dad's friend called him when he did something silly, but only while rubbing his hair affectionately. Noctis knew it was meant to be a bad word, but it felt nice when Uncle Clarus called him that.

"Then I'm not gonna tell too," Noctis grinned cheekily, liking this older boy a lot. He was fun to be around. 

"Ha!" the boy wrinkled his nose. "Then I won't tell you _my_ name either. That's fair."

Noctis stuck out his tongue and the boy laughed. 

"Anyway, I was looking for ya. I got ya something."

Noctis looked down to a small paper bag in the boy's hand, its neck scrunched up in his fist. 

"...What is it?" 

"D'you like sweets?" the boy opened up the bag as Noctis hummed eagerly. "I got my mum to make this 'cos you said ya didn't like carrots." 

He pulled out a large slice of cake, messily tearing it in half and shoving a piece into Noctis' hands. 

"Let's share it! It's really good!" The boy took a large bite, nodding at Noctis expectantly. 

The cake was a rich golden brown, flecked with orange and covered in a sticky white icing. It was soft and moist, smelt sweet and faintly of a spice Noctis didn't know the name of. He bit into it, slowly at first, then more confidently as he discovered how much he enjoyed the taste. 

The boy finished eating first, watching silently with a satisfied grin as Noctis polished off his piece. 

"D'ya like it?" he asked, stretching up to stand again, paper bag rustling in his hand.

Noctis nodded, licking his lips. 

"...Thanks."

The boy grinned even wider, then laughed. 

"I _knew_ it! See, now you can tell the grown-ups that you _can_ eat carrots when ya want to!" 

Noctis blinked, tilting his head to the side, and the boy noticed the confused expression. 

"I just gave ya carrot cake, dummy!"

//


	6. What Happened to Waffles?

**GAME OVER.**

Prompto leant across while grinning, catching Noctis in a loose headlock as the large red letters flashed tauntingly on the screen. 

"Too bad, so sad, better luck next time!" 

Noctis shoved him off with a groan. Any other time he would've been happy with the record he'd just achieved, but unfortunately his blonde friend had smashed it by at least another 2,000 points.

"OK, so you weren't lying when you said you were good at these arcade shooters..."

"Nope! Shooting is definitely like a speciality of mine," Prompto boasted. "I did warn ya!"

"Very impressive," Ignis nodded, arms folded as he watched from the side. "You've got both the aim and the reflexes... Which is more than can be said for poor Noct here."

Noctis huffed, returning the gun to its holder, and Prompto laughed with a wink at the second year. 

"There's still time for you to join in the challenge, Iggy? I could do with being treated more than once!" 

Ignis smiled coyly, "While the offer to lose is tempting, I'm afraid I'll pass."

Noctis pulled a face, trying not to roll his eyes. If it was accuracy and reflexes you needed, Ignis had more than his fair share of both and could surely give Prompto a run for his money. However, Ignis was also damn competitive once he started something, so it was probably best for everyone's ego that he was mature enough not to take the bait.

"Fine, fine!" Prompto grinned, still in high spirits, turning back to the other freshman. "So what're you gonna treat me to, Mr. Losing Score?" 

Noctis took his schoolbag back from Ignis as they started making their way out of the arcade.

"What were the options again?" 

With the days stretching into Summer, the three had begun walking and using the subway to get home after school rather than take the car - the warm daylight hours were too enticing to be spent crammed together in the back of a vehicle, even after a long day of lessons and club. Noctis in particular was enjoying the extra taste of freedom - not that they spent every day hitting up arcades; even meandering leisurely through town was a good way to end the day. With Ignis by his side, it seemed his father had also relaxed into the routine of the young master being out of the house more, too.

"Dessert, it's gotta be dessert," Prompto bounced out onto the pavement with a jump. "Oh hey, actually I wanted to try out that waffles place round the corner - some of the girls at club were saying it's amazing there!"

"You sure you wanna be eating more sweets?" Noctis teased, reaching across to pinch at Prompto's belly. 

"Hey, I'm not fat! I jog every morning, you know!" the other freshman recoiled with a laugh. "Anyway, let's meet up tomorrow and go there. Noct's treat!" 

Noctis glanced across at Ignis, knowing he wouldn't be allowed to go anywhere unchaperoned. The junior adjusted his glasses with a smile. 

"What time were you thinking?" 

"I dunno, afternoon? We can text the details later," Prompto mused. "Oh, if it's a weekend maybe we could get Gladio to join us too!" 

Since sharing that carrot cake outside of the dojo, Ignis and Prompto had found they also enjoyed the senior's company: relaxed and teasing yet distinctly reliable. He was always too busy to hang out with them properly afterwards, but somehow it'd become part of their pattern for Gladio to help taste test if Ignis had made anything small that day, sitting together with them on the wall by the vending machine, laughing and joking as if the four had been friends for a lot longer than just a couple of weeks. 

Prompto looked pointedly across at Noctis. "Whaddaya say? I can text him now?" 

Noctis blinked, "Sure, I don't mind." Then he paused, watching as Prompto pulled his phone out. "...Wait, when'd you get his number??" 

"Um... ages ago?" Prompto raised his eyebrows with a grin. Noctis seemed slightly flustered. "You don't have it yet?" 

Of course Noctis didn't have it - he didn't have a good reason to ask for it! He envied Prompto's friendly confidence.

"Yeah, I've not needed to talk to him outside of club," Noctis replied, unaware he was pouting. 

Prompto pursed his lips together, deciding not to comment despite his amusement, and Ignis filled in the silence, sensing the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"...Let us know what he says and when to meet tomorrow then," he steered the other two towards the subway steps, one eyebrow lightly arched, wondering what exactly he'd noticed that Prompto had.

\----------

 **Prompto:** _change of plan guys! let's hit up that dessert parlour by the river instead. 2pm by the bridge! 8D_

 **Noctis:** _what happened to waffles? :/_

 **Prompto:** _I heard about something even tastier ;) you can thank me later!_

_@Iggy that cool with you?_

**Ignis:** _2pm by the bridge over the river. We'll see you then._

 **Prompto:** _looking fwd to it! XD_

 **Noctis:** _Gladio?_

 **Prompto:** _he's working :(_

 **Noctis:** _k_

 **Ignis:** _Perhaps next time_.

\----------

The dessert parlour was relatively new, tucked away on the side road coming up from the river bank. The exterior was clean and cute, bright bold circles giving pops of colour over a fresh white entrance, with a clear glass window taking the place of most of the front wall. The interior wasn't that large, yet the light airy decor meant it felt spacious regardless.

Prompto led the trio to one of the end booths - a soft leathered couch curving into a crescent around a white perspex table - picking up one of the menus as they sat down: Ignis with his back against the wall, Prompto beside him and Noctis opposite. 

"Spill it then," Noctis leant his cheek on his fist. "Why'd you wanna come here so badly instead of the other place?" 

"The parfaits," Prompto peeked out from over the menu. "You can get _giant_ parfaits to share. Could never eat one myself so this is a good chance to try one!"

It was an answer, but Noctis knew Prompto well enough by now to know when he was hiding something. 

"That's not it," the freshman squinted his eyes at his friend. "There's something else..."

Prompto scoffed dismissively, "Come on, man. Let's just order. You want the fruit or chocolate parfait?" 

Ignis caught Noctis' eye, silently willing him to answer with the former, but was unsurprised when his plea went ignored.

"Chocolate for sure."

"Got it! Iggy, you gonna share with us?" 

"I think I'll just have a coffee... Maybe I'll try some of their cake for reference..."

"Well, it's Noct's treat so get whatever you want!" 

"I don't recall losing to Specs in anything though?" 

"Hey, take one for the team!" 

They continued to casually chat and tease as a young waitress took their order and a different girl brought it out to them. 

Prompto wasn't kidding when he said the parfaits were huge - the fluted glass bowl was easily a couple of handspans high and was filled generously with layer upon layer of chocolate brownie, salted caramel and vanilla ice-creams, dark and white chocolate chunks, crumbled cookies, whipped cream, varying chocolate sauces and wafers. Two long silver spoons stuck out elegantly from either side of a glacé cherry, placed ceremoniously on the top, and by all accounts it looked fricking amazing. 

"...Wow," Prompto breathed. "Noct, pose for me, buddy! I gotta get a pic of this!" 

He pulled out his phone, barely able to keep himself from drooling, as Noctis made a stock peace symbol from behind the monster of a dessert. 

Ignis watched his two younger companions with affection, all of a sudden feeling strangely mature with his coffee and his walnut cake, but not minding in the slightest. It was pleasant seeing the young master so carefree and Ignis relaxed into listening to Prompto's gushing over their creamy dessert as they began to dig in.

There was definitely something suspicious about Prompto's decision to come here, though - Ignis couldn't deny that. Whatever it was he couldn't guess, but it was undoubtedly nothing malicious so the junior decided not to think about it too hard.

When he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and looked up at the waiter approaching them, however, understanding created a wry smile upon Ignis' lips.

"Seriously, Prompto? I thought you said you _weren't_ gonna come here."

"Hehee... Sorry, big guy. I couldn't not!"

Noctis twisted round in surprise, recognising the voice.

"Gladio??" 

The senior stood with one hand on his hip, weight jutted to the side, the other hanging loose by his thigh. His hair was gelled lightly into smart flat spikes and his fitted all-black pants and shirt combo contrasted sharply against a thin white apron and matching bow tie. The only colour on his monochrome outfit was provided by the name badge on his chest: a bright orange to complement his eyes.

"Hey," Gladio nodded in greeting and Noctis had never seen him looking so handsome before.

"Well, you couldn't join us so I figured we could join you?" Prompto blinked up innocently. "And by the way, this parfait is crazy delicious!" he gestured at it with his spoon. "My compliments to the chef!" 

Gladio laughed, deep and cheerful. 

"Thanks. I didn't make any of the ingredients - we've got a real chef for the brownie and stuff - but I did put it together for ya. Glad it turned out OK."

Prompto grinned, eyes flickering over to where Noctis was still gaping wide eyed at the third year, and stuck his spoon into the side of the bowl.

"Yeah, it's really good! You wanna taste some?" 

Gladio scoffed, "I'm still on shift, Chocobo. Can't go helping myself to a customer's dessert."

"What if I feed you?" 

Prompto peeped over at Noctis again who had stopped gaping and was now undoubtedly frowning at the suggestion, mouth slightly pinched.

Gladio sighed and shrugged, leaning one hand on the table as he bent forwards, the other still on his hip. "Go on then. I make these all the time but never actually try 'em." He glanced over his shoulder before ducking his head a little further, so his cheek was directly in front of Noctis' face.

"Make it quick, I don't want anyone to see," Gladio murmured and Noctis felt a blush threatening to form at the sound, glad the captain was looking towards Prompto and not at him.

Prompto smirked, taking advantage of Noctis' flustered distraction, and easily grabbed the spoon dangling loosely from his friend's fingers. He scooped up a mouthful of ice-cream and brownie and held it in front of Gladio to eat, relishing the glassy eyed shock on Noctis' face as he watched the third year swallow and lick his lips right within his personal space.

"Nice, isn't it?" Prompto beamed innocently, still holding onto Noctis' spoon; the other freshman was blinking all his attention onto the shiny piece of silverware - specifically, the part which had just been in Gladio's mouth.

"Yeah, it's not bad," Gladio straightened up again with a smile. "Anyway, I'd better get back to work. Just came over to say hi." He nodded down at them. "If I don't get to give you your bill then I'll catch up with you guys on Monday. Think you'll be making anything, Iggy?" 

Ignis smiled, the puzzle that was Prompto slowly clicking into place as he watched the activities unfold before him. "Something savoury, I think."

"Lookin' forward to it!" Gladio grinned. "See ya later then."

He paused to ruffle Noctis' hair before he left, half curious as to why the freshman was being unusually quiet, but his worries were put to rest when the younger teen looked up at him with a soft smile at his action.

"...See you later."

Prompto's grin went all the way up into his eyes as Gladio went back into the kitchen area and Noctis' gaze trailed after him. Yep, no doubt about it. Prompto knew what was up. 

The young blonde coughed lightly, getting Noctis' attention again.

"Sorry, man. I should've let you be the one to feed him," Prompto smirked, Noctis' spoon still hanging loosely in his grip. 

"Wha--" Noctis opened his mouth to protest and Prompto took the opportunity to gently shove the spoon inside, letting go so Noctis closed his mouth upon reflex to stop it from falling out. The metal was still warm from Gladio's tongue and Noctis swallowed around it, this time unable to hide his blush at the thought.

Prompto hid his lips behind his knuckles. _Definitely_ no doubt about it. 

"Anyway, I won't do it again, don't worry," Prompto's voice was sincere even though his eyes danced with amusement. 

Noctis pulled the spoon slowly out from his mouth, glancing down at it then back across at his friend. After a brief pause, thoughtful with his eyes narrowed, he sighed and scooped up another mouthful of dessert. 

"...I dunno what you're talking about." Because really, he was trying to convince himself he _didn't_ know what he was talking about. Noctis huffed in an attempt to blow any remnants of blush away.

Prompto grinned, a little more gently this time. Better not tease too much.

"Gladio said he works here on the weekend, part time. Apparently he lives nearby and brought his sister here when it opened - she fell in love with the place and when she noticed they were hiring? Begged him to apply in the hope they'd get discounts," Prompto chuckled. 

"That sounds like the captain," Noctis smiled, relaxing slightly at the change in topic. "He'd do anything for Iris."

"Yeah, he's a cool guy," Prompto continued eating too. 

The cherry had remained untouched in the centre, slowly sinking down into the bowl with each bite of dessert. Neither teen had attempted to claim it, so Prompto thought he'd offer it to Noctis as an unspoken apology for his teasing.

"Here, Noct. I'll let you have the cherry."

The other freshman carried on scooping ice-cream, not even sparing the fruit a glance. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was processing what Prompto had said... When had the two of them talked about Gladio's part time job? Not after school in front of him, so maybe through text? How long had they been texting each other anyway? The more he thought about it, the more sulky Noctis could feel himself becoming - and he didn't want to admit to what the feeling might be telling him.

"It's cool. I'm not a fan."

Prompto hesitated. Truth be told, he wasn't a fan of the overly syrupy fruit either - but he got the feeling Noctis wasn't just referring to the cherry anymore. Damn. The other guy wasn't getting jealous, was he? He hadn't meant to give _that_ impression.

"No, really. I'm not into them."

"Nah, man. Just have it."

"You have it."

"I don't want it."

"You do, I know you do."

Ignis drained the last of his coffee and reached over to grab at the stalk with a sigh. 

"...Don't mind if I do, then."

He may not have been trained in watching for relationships - rather just in watching for threats - but Ignis could tell from a mile off what Prompto had been up to that day with regards to the young master and his potential love life.

"Iggy!" 

As he chewed thoughtfully on the cherry, twirling the stalk between his fingers, Ignis wondered just what exactly he should do with this newfound piece of information.


	7. ...Chocobros?

Glitters of warm sunlight reflected from the surface of the pond, its mellow glow matching that of the orange koi within. The fish waltzed serenely beneath the stillness and Noctis admired their graceful movements - smooth and strong, swimming without purpose yet not without power, beside and above and under one another like they'd graze together at any moment but never actually touching. Lazy but sure: an oxymoron if he ever saw one.

He found watching them relaxing, as if their swimming in circles helped unravel the tangled thoughts going in circles in his mind. 

It was late June, but the early evening air still held a slight chill; Noctis ducked his head into the collar of his hoodie, tugging at it lightly to cover the corner of his mouth, subconsciously breathing in its scent.

Well, it was apparently his hoodie now, but it was the one Gladio had given him the afternoon he'd fallen in the river. Noctis had tried to return it - folded up neatly along with the other items of clothing - but Gladio had hesitated for some reason after accepting the bag. Maybe Noctis' reluctance had been apparent (it had taken him four days in the end, to call the captain out in the changing rooms after club) or maybe it was just on a whim, but Gladio had taken it out from where it rested atop the pile and held it up thoughtfully: "Actually, I was planning on giving this away at some point but never got round to it. How about ya do me a favour and just keep it?"

Noctis had protested - going through the motions but not really meaning it - and Gladio had laughed, "Seriously, it doesn't even fit me anymore. Look," and pulled it on to demonstrate. It fit, but an exact fit rather than comfortable, and he'd rolled it off again and chucked it at Noctis' chest for the younger teen to clumsily catch.

"Trust me, it looks a lot better with you wearing it."

Noctis had stumbled at the casual flirting tone (a trademark of Gladio's friendliness to everyone, definitely not something reserved just for him, he was sure) and the senior had continued confidently, "Don't worry, I put it on for like a second, you don't need to wash it again before wearing it!"

So Noctis hadn't, despite that 'second' being after an afternoon of training... And he wondered if he would have even thought about it if Gladio hadn't mentioned it... And he wondered why exactly he was pleased Gladio had briefly worn it again before returning it and why exactly he found wearing it so comforting. 

Weeks had passed since then: time to push away those feelings and what they might mean, time for Gladio to join their circle of friends after club activities, time for their little trio to surprise Gladio at his part time job and time for Prompto to behave downright ludicrous with his whole 'steal Noctis' spoon and use it to feed Gladio then talk in smug riddles about it afterwards' stunt... And then, as a result of said stunt, time for those feelings to be dredged up again for Noctis to ponder over now, squatting in front of the pool at the back of the Manor's garden. 

He tugged at the hoodie again, finding one of the strings by his neck and weaving it listlessly between his fingers. Noctis had grabbed the hoodie upon returning, Prompto's words from their parting still fresh in his ears ("I'm sorry if I was teasing too much but I'm honestly just excited for you! I mean, if you wanna do anything about it, which I totally think you should cos it looks to me like you've got a good chance!") taunting him into wearing the damn thing out of childish defiance. 

Noctis wasn't an idiot; he knew exactly what his friend was implying. The whole notion just seemed too unbelievable to acknowledge. Say that the other freshman was right, and say that he admitted, maybe, that there was the slightest chance that he might be nursing the _tiniest_ of crushes on his captain... What good would that even do? Because, despite what Prompto had said, Noctis was convinced he didn't have a good chance at anything going anywhere.

One of the koi broke the clear surface near Noctis' feet with its mouth gaping wide, perhaps thinking the youth was there to feed them, but when he made no sign of moving it dipped elegantly back beneath the water again with a smooth swish of its tail.

Oh, to be a fish. What a simple life that must be.

The familiar crunch of footsteps on gravel alerted Noctis to the presence of someone approaching from behind. He waved the back of his hand over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around.

"Hey," he called a lazy greeting, eyes still fixed upon the pond. 

"Noct," came the reply, no doubt coupled with a nod. 

Ignis stepped beside the crouching figure, surveying the modest expanse of water. This was the place the young master always came when he had something on his mind, a habit ingrained for as long as Ignis could remember. No surprise to find him here now, then.

A companionable silence fell between them as Noctis shuffled slightly, straightening up his hoodie around his chest. 

"...Have you checked your phone recently?" the older teen asked, his tone seemingly indifferent.

Noctis cocked his head to one side, following a particularly fast fish across the pond. 

"Not since we got back." 

Ignis rarely said anything without reason, so Noctis understood the question to be a subtle prompt to do so. He stretched as he stood up, bouncing his hamstrings as he pushed against his knees, then dug in his pocket for his cell.

50+ new notifications?

He unlocked the screen, taking the phone off silent, and opened up his messaging app to find he'd been added to a new chat group... Along with Prompto, Ignis and Gladio himself.

"...Choco _bros_?" Noctis read the group name out loud in disbelief, then began scrolling through the messages. 

They were mostly just casual chit-chat, checking everyone was home OK and their usual teasing banter, primarily between Prompto and Gladio. Thinking about it again, Noctis supposed they were both similar in the way they joked around - mock flirting as a sign of platonic affection - and the stark difference in the way he reacted to them both stood out even clearer than usual as he read between their back and forth.

Then his eyes caught on the messages towards the end of the chat - discussing their time at the café - and Noctis realised why Ignis had come all the way out to the end of the Manor garden to find him. 

**Prompto:** _no rly, it was DELICIOUS. look I even took a pic_

_/Prompto sent Delicious.jpg/_

**Gladio:** _Not bad, if I do say so myself :D_

 **Prompto:** _looks good, right?_

 **Gladio:** _Absolute p_ _erfection ;D_

 **Prompto:** _here I got another one too_

_/Prompto sent SleepingBeauty.jpg/_

**Gladio:** _XD_

 **Prompto:** _what? you were talking about Noct, right? not the parfait? :D_

 **Gladio:** _LOL. When did you even take that??_

 **Prompto:** _at the end of class. poor guy didn't even hear the bell ring lol_

_/Prompto sent NoctSunset.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _he's super photogenic, right?! I'd complain but he makes my shots look super good too XD_

_@Noctis thanks buddy, when you see this!_

**Gladio:** _LOL. I can't deny he's a good looking guy_

 **Prompto _:_** _you hear that Noct? got yourself an admirer ;D_

 **Gladio:** _I'm just saying it as it is ;)_

_/Prompto sent KillerNoct.jpg/_

**_Prompto is typing_... **

"What the... Iggy?!" Noctis looked up at the other teen, somewhat exasperated and hoping he wasn't blushing.

What the hell was Prompto up to, spamming Gladio with photos like that?! The first was the one they'd taken that day, their giant parfait to the front left of frame and Noctis posing behind with a peace sign and subtle smile. The second was of the most recent time he'd fallen asleep in class, arms folded on the desk and head flat on top of them, lips slightly parted and bangs swept over one eye. The third was taken after school at the subway station: Noctis' profile in focus, looking away with the tracks stretching into the distance behind, and a striking orange-pink sky as the backdrop. The final picture was of Noctis at the arcade, gun pointing at the console and frowning in concentration, as an electric blue flash highlighted his features in a surreal kind of aesthetic beauty.

Ignis cleared his throat, having expected the other teen to react this way, phone also now in hand so he could follow along with what the other could see.

"I... think you've got yourself a wingman."

Noctis blinked dumbly. That was kind of what Noctis had thought too, but he was still surprised to hear it confirmed through Ignis also picking up on what was going on. His phone vibrated and he looked down again to watch as the conversation continued to unfold.

 **Prompto:** _isn't the way he's glaring hot? I never look hot when I frown lol_

_/Prompto sent Frown.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _look. don't tell me I don't just look constipated lol X'D_

 **Gladio:** _LOL. You said it, not me._

 **Prompto:** _go on you guys, your turn. @Ignis? @Gladio?_

_@Noctis I'll let you off cos I already got a pic of you frowning, but if you wanna take a selfie then be my guest ;D_

"Iggy... What on Eos is he doing?" Noctis somehow managed to stop himself from whining, biting his lip as he glanced up pleadingly at the other teen. 

Ignis was holding his phone at a slight angle above his head, expression flat, one eyebrow pointing down and the other quirked up in mock unimpressed annoyance.

"Honestly? I think he thinks he's helping."

_/Ignis sent DSC_2806201.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _nice! 8D_

 **Gladio:** _Cool as always, Iggy. ;D Hold up, lemme send one too_

_/Gladio sent SexyFrown.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _loooool and we have a winner! XD XD XD_

 **Gladio:** _Thank you, thank you. I aim to please ;)_

Noctis heard Ignis stifle a chuckle somewhere in the distance but he barely registered the sound - his attention was now entirely captivated by the image on his screen. Gladio was full on smouldering at the camera, eyes slightly narrowed beneath a faint frown, teeth clenched to accentuate his sharp jawline and lips dangerously close to a pout, obviously having just been licked from the telltale shine.

Damn. Noctis almost felt like he could forgive Prompto for his ridiculous antics after having coaxed that treasure into existence and onto Noctis' phone.

 **I** **gnis:** _I didn't realise this was a competition._

_/Ignis sent DSC_2806202.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _XD_

_/Prompto sent NotSexyFrown.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _guys I can't XD_

_/Prompto sent ReallyNotSexyFrown.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _help XD_

 **Gladio:** _LOL. Wish I could stay and chat longer but my oven timer just went off and Iris is hungry. Gonna have to catch up with you all later :D_

 **Prompto:** _later big guy :D enjoy your dinner!_

 **Ignis:** _Until next time._

 **Gladio:** _;D_

_/Ignis sent DSC_2806203.jpg/_

**Prompto:** _ok ok I take it back lol! Iggy you win! XD_

 **Ignis:** _:)_

 **Noctis:** _you guys are idiots =_=_

 **Prompto:** _lol <3_

Noctis sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he let the hand with his phone in drop down to his hip.

"...Is this really happening?" he looked across to where Ignis was smiling fondly at his own phone screen.

"I apologise if this isn't my place," Ignis began, putting his cell away to meet the other teen's gaze, "but... what is it you want to happen? Because whatever it is, you can trust you have my full support."

Noctis held eye contact in silence for a few seconds longer, then exhaled slowly and looked away again. 

"I... don't want anything to happen."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Noctis answered quickly out of habit, eyes catching back on the pond again as he contemplated the question properly. 

What could possibly happen? Did he want to start a relationship? That... wasn't it. He didn't have any delusions of Gladio holding him in his arms and whispering sweet nothings into his ears. Kisses? Well, the guy was hot so that might be nice, but...

"...I just like being around him, I guess."

Ignis hummed thoughtfully.

"Is being alone better than with others?"

Two koi, of noticeably different sizes, swam in circles around each other then disappeared together into the depths.

"I... guess it's kinda nice in its own way," Noctis murmured waiting for the fish to return, yet at the same time feeling strangely satisfied that they weren't. 

Ignis removed his glasses to clean the lens with the edge of his shirt. 

"Summer break is starting soon. Do the karate club have training over the holidays?" 

"Not really. There's an optional week training camp in the middle, but that's just for the guys who're competing in October."

"You're not one of them?" 

"No, I... don't take it that seriously. Besides, I can't ask you to come along with me to school for the camp - people'll wonder what you're doing there but Dad won't let me go without you."

"I take it Gladio will be there though?" 

"Of course," Noctis scoffed, half wondering why Ignis had dropped their earlier conversation in favour of this one. He must have a hidden motive somewhere. 

"Well, you know I know how to be discreet," Ignis replaced his glasses again. "But I can offer you one better if you can promise to keep me updated before and after each session..."

"What do you mean?" Noctis folded his arms quizzically.

"I can simply escort you to the school's vicinity rather than go inside with you. And if you ever want some extra privacy - should you be invited somewhere alone with the captain - then I can make myself scarce until you're finished. The boss won't need to know I'm not with you 100% of the time..." Ignis explained, mimicking Noctis' crossed arms. "Besides which, in my mind it'll just be similar to when you're in classes and such. I think we know Gladio well enough by now to know he's not a threat."

"That's..." Noctis laughed. "Thanks, Iggy, but I'm sure nothing like that's gonna happen." He shifted his weight onto one hip in thought. "Though I'll take you up on that training camp offer." The freshman smiled coyly. "I bet Gladio'll be pleased I'm competing, at least."

"As long as you're happy," Ignis smiled. 

Noctis returned the gesture with a chuckle, dropping his chin against his chest before looking up at the older teen through his bangs. 

"Thanks, Specs." He paused momentarily. "And er... thanks for not being weirded out or anything."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Ignis moved to pat Noctis lightly on the shoulder. "Like I said, as long as you're happy then I'm happy."

Noctis' phone vibrated just then and he lifted it up again, feeling warm and a little embarrassed.

Then he read the incoming messages and the warmth in his cheeks just intensified.

 **Gladio:** _Hey, Noct! Hope you don't mind me messaging you directly now I got your number but I'd better do it while Iris is bugging me and before I forget_

 **Gladio:** _You free anytime after school next week? I'm formally (LOL) inviting you to dinner ;D_

 **Gladio:** _Iris is still miffed she never got to thank you in person_

Noctis swallowed. 

"Um... Iggy?" 

"Yes, Noct?" 

"...Maybe I'll be needing you to make yourself scarce after all."

\----------

The two of them agreed to meet on Wednesday in the end. Mercifully, the teasing had been kept to a minimum for the two days prior - Prompto doing well not to do anything in Gladio's presence during their usual post-club meetings, aside from directing a few raised eyebrows and cheesy grins at Noctis out of the captain's sight.

When Prompto found out about their dinner date though ("It's NOT a date, Prom!") he'd almost squealed in excitement and Noctis had to whack him with his schoolbag to make him shut up ("Ifrit's sake, man! You're not a schoolgirl!").

The blonde had grinned, preening jovially at his brilliant ideas to subtly get Noctis and Gladio to exchange numbers, coaxing the senior into complimenting the freshman's looks and into sending an almost sinfully delicious photo of himself to the group.

Prompto had deleted it afterwards, showing Noctis his chat screen as evidence - because he didn't want there to be any possible misunderstandings between them - and firmly stated, "Seriously, I'm rooting for you, dude!" 

(Noctis noticed that his classmate hadn't deleted any of Ignis' photos though.)

Then Prompto had bounced up and down eagerly asking how else he could help, to which Noctis had groaned affectionately and said to just stop whatever he was thinking of doing - because he'd done enough already thank you - and to give Noctis some time to breathe.

He explained what he'd said to Ignis that day - that he honestly just enjoyed spending more time with Gladio, there was nothing lewd about it - and Prompto grinned knowingly, nodding his head with his eyebrows quirked.

"Sure thing, buddy! Just know that I'm on your side, a'right?" 

Fast forward to Wednesday and Noctis was currently walking back to Gladio's place after club.

"Whatever it is we eat," Gladio warned, "just nod and smile and say you like it! I ain't got a clue what she's making either - didn't trust me not to spoil her surprise - but whatever it is, I can guarantee it'll be edible at least."

Noctis laughed, "Don't worry, I won't embarrass your sister. I'm just impressed she can cook at all at her age... And that she wants to, even."

Gladio smiled as the apartment block came into view, "Yeah, we got into the habit of helping out while we were young, what with Mum working so much and everything. Made things easy to just carry on splitting chores even now. Though er... Iris kind of insisted she'd be the one to make dinner tonight."

They climbed the steps to the second floor and Gladio let them inside, calling loudly as he entered, "We're home!"

"Sorry for the intrusion!" Noctis called after him, taking off his shoes in the entrance hall.

"Hey!" Iris appeared in the doorway, cheeks faintly flushed but smiling broadly, pink apron tied around her waist. "Just gimme another 20min and I'll be done, OK?"

"I can give you a hand if you like?" Noctis offered, following the siblings through to the main room. 

"No no no, you're the guest!" Iris protested, bouncing back into the kitchen. "You just sit down and let my brother take care of you!" Then she stuck her head back out round the doorframe long enough to nod at the bookshelf, "Oh, Gladdy - another one of those brown envelopes came so I Ieft it over there for you."

"Great, thanks," the senior went to pick it up and Noctis decided to sit himself down on the couch.

He noticed that the envelope now in Gladio's hands was small but thick, more akin to a package than a letter, and strangely enough it didn't have an address written on the front... Noctis squinted a little to see the back was unmarked too.

The senior caught Noctis staring, glancing down at the item in his hands then back across, a possibly sheepish expression on his face; Noctis blinked hurriedly and looked away, unsure if he was intruding on something he wasn't supposed to.

"Er... It's OK," Gladio coughed lightly, putting the envelope on a higher shelf then walking across to sit next to Noctis, slightly bumping their knees as his weight caused the cushions to sink together. "I know it looks suspicious," he laughed dryly. 

"No," Noctis tried to sound casual, even as his leg tensed and his mind raced over whether it was better to shift slightly away or to stay put with their thighs touching, "you don't need to explain anything to me. It's cool."

Gladio hummed as he breathed out, clasping his hands as he leant forwards to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Actually... I'd feel better if I could tell ya. Got no-one else to vent about this stuff with..." He looked up at the freshman, head on one side. "You don't mind, do ya?"

Noctis felt his mouth fall open a little wider at the sight - this was a good angle on the captain, especially with the hint of worry in his eyes - and he forced it back shut again before replying with as much confidence as he could muster. "Sure, go ahead."

In the back of his mind, Noctis was silently kicking himself for being so over-aware all of a sudden. Admitting his crush to Ignis and Prompto and having them acknowledge it back to him was the cause of it, he was certain. Not that he could do anything about it even knowing that fact.

"Thanks," Gladio smiled, then sat up again to lean a little closer, stretching his arm over the back of the couch and behind Noctis' shoulders.

"Iris doesn't know about it though, so I'm gonna have to keep my voice down," Gladio murmured into Noctis' ear, deep and husky.

"That's fine," Noctis swallowed, not knowing where to look but secretly impressed with himself for not visibly shuddering at the sensation.

"Yeah, so... You remember what I told you last time you were here about yakuza connections? And I said it was nothing to do with me anymore?"

Noctis nodded, not trusting himself to speak as the third year continued to whisper into his ear. 

"It... wasn't a lie, but it wasn't entirely the truth, I guess. Those brown envelopes? Pretty sure they're being sent by someone over on that side. They come roughly around the same time each month, posted through the letterbox with no note or anything, and er..."

Gladio paused here to grunt slightly and it was all Noctis could do to resist biting his lip as the sound sent an involuntary jolt through his stomach. 

"...Yeah. They're stuffed full of money. I ain't gonna tell you how much, but let's just say it's enough to cover the rent for this place."

Noctis swallowed. This was pretty big news Gladio was trusting him with here. 

"...I thought you said your mum saved up to buy it though?" he managed to continue the conversation, recalling what Gladio had told him before. 

"Yeah, she did... Eventually. But ain't like we got any way of communicating that though. These envelopes have been coming for as long as I remember."

Gladio paused again, looking down as he sighed so as to not blow in the other teen's ear, but Noctis still felt the warmth ghost against his neck and he subtly clenched his jaw as a pleasant tingle ran down his spine.

"But I don't spend any of it, aside from on bills. It's what Mum used to do, after we stopped needing to pay rent, so I just carried it on. All the extra, I put in a savings account for Iris - and I transferred across anything Mum had tried to keep in an account for me."

Noctis continued to nod and hum as Gladio spoke, not wanting to interrupt (the sound of his voice or his train of thought) but needing to show he was still listening.

"Like I said, she doesn't have a clue about any of this, but I figure there's no harm in her benefiting. If my old man wants to send money as a way of making himself feel better, then fine. It's bad enough it shows he's still keeping tabs on us, to know where we live, so paying our expenses? That's just his responsibility. Whether the money's dirty or not, I don't know, but... Whether we take it or not, it's not gonna change how it was made. So I might as well put it to good use?"

Gladio finally leant away again and Noctis turned his head to look the senior in the eye.

"You probably think I'm a giant hypocrite, don't ya."

Noctis had thought he was putting Gladio in an uncomfortable position by making him feel like he needed to explain all this to him, but upon seeing the captain's face Noctis realised Gladio was being honest when he'd said he wanted to vent about it. What he was doing was undoubtedly making the senior feel guilty. 

"I... don't think you're a hypocrite," Noctis murmured, keeping his tone hushed so Iris wouldn't hear from the next room. "You're working part-time, aren't you? You could've just kept all the money for yourself and then you wouldn't need to."

"Yeah... But I'm still accepting it. There's no note, and even Mum never said it out loud, but it's pretty obvious where it's coming from. I just try not to think about _where_ it's coming from, you know?" Gladio frowned and Noctis felt his heart squeeze at how vulnerable the older teen suddenly seemed. 

"...Even if it is, it doesn't mean it's dirty. Not all yakuza are the same - they have levels in how they do things. You need certain operations to keep others in line, to stop stuff really getting out of hand; it's 'organised' crime for a reason. Some of it's just necessity, especially amongst the higher ups - which is what you said your dad is," Noctis spoke without thinking, keen to just dispel any of Gladio's worries, but caught himself before continuing. "I mean, that's what I've heard anyway." He looked down, a little guiltily though Gladio surely just saw it as embarrassment. "I mean... I don't think all yakuza are bad..." he finished almost lamely.

There was a short silence and Noctis wondered if he'd said too much, but then the quiet was broken by the deep rumble of Gladio chuckling.

"You know, when you say it like that I can't help but almost believe you, Noct," Gladio smiled, bending his arm to rest his temple against his fist and look at the freshman fondly. "Thanks."

Noctis returned the smile, warm butterflies pooling in his gut, suddenly not minding their close proximity so much anymore. His eyes flickered over the older teen's face and he thought he saw Gladio mimic the action, gaze settling briefly upon Noctis' lightly parted lips. Noctis allowed his head to tilt gently to the side as he softly exhaled - half nervous sigh - and he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or if Gladio was subtly sliding his elbow towards him so their faces inched slowly nearer... Noctis let his eyes drop to Gladio's mouth, tantalisingly close, as he felt his sense of reason leave with another shaky breath outwards. He gulped as he pressed his lips together, not daring to move either forwards or back, waiting for whatever was to come next.

"Gladdy, will you help me lay the table??" 

Iris' clear voice cut through the tension, snapping Noctis out from whatever trance he'd suddenly fallen under. He blinked himself back to attention, all at once remembering how to breathe.

"...Yeah, I'm coming," Gladio sat up straight again as he called back to the kitchen, dropping his arm flat onto the back of the couch. Then he cleared his throat and stood up, ruffling Noctis' hair as he went and leaving the freshman wondering what exactly might have happened if they hadn't been interrupted. 

Iris appeared in the doorway, face still pink to match her apron, and shot Noctis her best smile. 

"Will you come and sit down? I can't wait for you to try what I made!" 

Noctis laughed, her innocence washing away any remnants of awkwardness, and stood up to join her at the table. 

"Sure, thanks."

He was probably just getting carried away with himself after all the recent teasing from Prompto and subtle cheering on from Ignis. Better to just focus on the things he knew were happening as fact - such as this little sunbeam of energy in front of him trying her hardest to show him her thanks. Not that he expected her to, but it would definitely be rude of him to dwell on anything else any longer. 

"I can't wait either," Noctis smiled, pulling up a chair.


	8. This Is OK, Isn't It?

"Make sure to let Gladio know if you'll be joining us for the training camp," Nyx finished his speech from the front of the dojo, nodding at where the captain was standing beside him with a clipboard. "...and that's officially the start of your summer break. Dismissed, gentlemen!"

The hall was filled with a chorus of shouts and claps as the teenagers bowed and left from their positions in their rows.

Gladio made his way to the doorway, tapping the end of his pen against his jaw as he scanned down the list in his hand: it looked as if Nyx had just copy/pasted it from the student files, sorted alphabetically by year group with extra information such as class name and birthday alongside each entry. 

...August 30th, huh. 

Gladio's eyes flickered up and somehow found themselves immediately drawn to where Noctis was draining the last of the water from his bottle, head tilted back and seemingly oblivious to the other people around him. 

Noctis was a strange one. Gladio didn't understand why the kid wasn't more popular than he was, but the first year didn't seem interested in forming any strong friendships with the other members in the club. Not that he was cold - he interacted with the others well enough when he needed to - it was more that he was kind of distant... Two dimensional, in a way. Like he had his friends in Ignis and Prompto and that was enough for him. Gladio seemed to be the only exception.

"Hey, Gladio! Put my name down as coming!"

"Sure thing!" 

Gladio allowed his mind to continue to wander, ticking names off the list accordingly and saying his goodbyes as each person passed him to leave.

He supposed he was being a little hypocritical in his analysis of Noctis when in all honesty Gladio himself was similar: although he was confident and friendly with everyone in both his class and at club, he preferred not to let anyone past the wall of being just acquaintances; while he gave the illusion of popularity, the truth was everyone he spoke to assumed he was tight with a different friendship group to their own, leaving him with no close friends and nobody any the wiser about it. He told himself he didn't have the luxury to waste time messing around - close friends or girlfriends or any other such distractions - and Gladio didn't mind that. He liked the way he did things. Friend to all and enemy to none.

So it was unexpected how he'd ended up becoming so familiar with Noctis' group, even going so far as to exchange phone numbers with them all... But maybe that was just a testament to Noctis' strange charisma. He definitely had a certain pull to him which Gladio couldn't ignore: whether that was active dislike (embarrassing as that memory was) or likeable attraction, Noctis seemed to always be on his mind one way or another.

As for other embarrassing memories... Gladio absentmindedly licked his lips as he recalled the dinner Noctis had come to at his apartment the other week. He'd ended up unloading more of his problems onto the guy - seriously, how unguarded did Noctis make him? - and they'd definitely shared _something_ together, alone on the couch, a tingling magnetism in the wake of their conversation... And Gladio was still unsure even now what would have happened if Iris hadn't called out to him just then and broken the moment.

Iris had done a good job of keeping the conversation going, before anyone had the chance to feel awkward, and neither teen had mentioned anything about it afterwards, as if nothing had ever happened - but Gladio knew that wasn't the first time he'd almost lost himself in front of Noctis; it was just the first time he'd almost been tempted to do something about it.

Still, it was embarrassing precisely _because_ of the lack of awkwardness. Noctis had continued to treat him the same, which Gladio mimicked, and their relationship stayed just the same as ever... But Gladio was torn between being satisfied with that - his lack of free time was unchanged, after all - and being frustrated at having his advances ignored (unintentional though they were). Was the attraction he felt for Noctis actually romantic? And did he want those feelings to be reciprocated or not?

"Hey," Noctis approached the captain now, one of the last in the dojo to leave. 

"Hey, Noct," Gladio smiled down at him, tucking the pen into place on the clipboard. The first year had already made it clear weeks ago he wouldn't be competing in the tournament or attending summer training... But even though Gladio was disappointed he also wasn't big on peer pressure, so he hadn't pushed Noctis' decision any further since.

"It's gonna be lonely not seeing you around at camp," Gladio teased, bopping Noctis lightly over the head with the back of the clipboard.

Noctis brushed Gladio's arm away in mock annoyance, light smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"...Actually," the freshman fidgeted slightly in front of him, squeezing at his water bottle and biting the edge of his lip as he looked away. "I've been thinking about that."

Gladio subtly clenched his teeth together. If he didn't know any better, he'd say Noctis was acting damn cute right about now and he really shouldn't be allowed to be that way in public.

"...Yeah?" 

"Yeah, I er... Thought I'd join in after all, if it's not too late, I mean. I would've mentioned it sooner but," Noctis met Gladio's gaze for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked down at his water bottle again, "I wasn't sure if it was a good idea."

Wait. Was this Gladio's imagination or was this the awkwardness Gladio had been missing - just super delayed for some reason. Maybe because this was the first time the two of them had actually been alone since then? Now Gladio thought about it, aside from club they'd always been with either Ignis or Prompto or both of them since that dinner. Training didn't count because they'd been too focused on what they were meant to be doing to have any kind of real conversation.

Gladio blinked as he processed this before belatedly realising he'd not replied yet - and Noctis was still waiting in an uncomfortable silence.

"Of course it's a good idea! You're one of our rising talents, Noct," he grinned, pulling the pen back out and ticking off the first year's name on the list. "And," Gladio couldn't help himself, knowing this level of play flirting was normal for him, "I can never say no to spending more time with you."

Noctis finally laughed, confidence creeping back into his demeanour now that his issue was solved.

"You know, I don't know how you can spout lines like that with a straight face... You and Prom both; it's ridiculous."

"Maybe you just need to try it sometime," Gladio smirked affectionately. 

"Yeah... No. I'll pass," Noctis smiled, completely relaxed again now. "Are you free after this to hang out, or...?" 

"Not today, I'm afraid," Gladio tilted his head across to where Nyx was going through some kind of fancy 360 kick with a small group of third years. "Gonna need to discuss this list with the coach so we can get straight to training in a couple weeks, rather than have to come into school some other time before then."

"Ah, OK," Noctis nodded. "Makes sense. I'll let the guys know."

Gladio almost thought the freshman looked overly disappointed but, again, he wasn't sure if it was just his wishful imagination. 

"...We can meet up outside of camp though, if you want?" Gladio heard himself suggesting, only realising as he spoke how honest his words from before really were: he really was going to miss not seeing Noctis every day once summer break started and he really couldn't say no to any excuse to spend more time with him. It wasn't as if it would be taking up any extra time either, as he was planning on doing some extra training himself anyway.

"I've got the key to the dojo after all - captain's privileges. We can catch up on the sparring techniques you missed out on when you were training with the half of the club who aren't competing."

Noctis looked thoughtful but pleased to be invited.

"...That sounds good, actually. How many others are you asking?"

"Just you, Noct," Gladio grinned. "You're gonna get some personal tuition from the best."

"Wow. What's in it for you then?" Noctis breathed, looking slightly incredulous yet still pleased.

"I get to spend more time with _you_ , of course."

"..."

They were both silent for a moment before bursting into shared laughter.

"Seriously, Gladio? I don't know how you can say this stuff without cringing! All you were missing that time was a wink," Noctis ran the fingers of one hand through his hair in semi-flustered amusement.

The third year grinned wider. "I'll remember that for next time."

"Don't you dare!" 

Gladio chuckled, enjoying the warmth spreading through his chest at the sound of Noctis close to giggling. 

"Anyway, I'd better start going through this list with Nyx. I'll text you later to see if you're still free to train, OK?" 

"Sure. Take care, Gladio," Noctis stepped past to leave and Gladio allowed his gaze to follow until the freshman was out of sight. 

Well, if it _was_ romantic attraction Gladio supposed there wasn't any harm in it. There was no point in thinking too hard about it, anyway. Noctis clearly enjoyed spending time with him. They were able to chat and arrange meeting up. They joked around together and had fun. What would change if he were to confess and his feelings were returned? Not much, really, aside from the permission to maybe get more physical... But even then, they were still close enough at the moment for Gladio to pull the first year into mock headlocks, casually massage the small of his back when beside each other, ruffle his hair and pat his cheeks - they weren't lacking in skinship. On the contrary, if Noctis didn't return his feelings then their current relationship would have everything to lose. 

The logical thing was to play it safe and go with the flow. To carry on as they were without saying anything... Gladio may have been a teenager but that didn't mean he thought with his crotch. He could hold himself back if being intimate was the only driving point to risk confessing.

Besides, the more time they spent together, the more Gladio could observe if Noctis' occasional apparent awkwardness was real or just his imagination. Or, who knows, maybe Noctis would be the one to make the first move... And if he did, Gladio knew he sure as hell wouldn't reject him.

\----------

"Which days were you planning, again?" Ignis sat up straighter, pulling up the organiser on his phone. 

He and Noctis were in the young master's bedroom: Ignis at the desk and Noctis sprawled out flat on his bed, one arm behind his head and the other arm stretched up in thought at the ceiling, fingers wide as he twisted and flexed his hand so the joints sporadically cracked.

"Mondays and Thursdays," Noctis replied, "up until the training camp which is the whole week." He let his arm collapse back down to his side and rolled over onto his stomach. "Then maybe the two Thursdays after that, too."

Ignis diligently highlighted the days on the calendar.

"...Including the final Thursday of August?" 

"...Yeah," Noctis muttered, stretching his back out like a cat. "I don't have any plans, right?" 

"Not as yet, but--" 

"Then I'm sure it's fine," Noctis interrupted, flopping face down. "...Dad's always come up with an excuse for the past how many years, why can't I be the one to be busy this time?" 

Ignis didn't catch all the words Noctis mumbled into his pillow, but he was sure he managed to get the gist of them.

"Well, I suppose we can confirm closer to the time for that particular day..."

"...I suppose," Noctis turned his head to see Ignis' lightly concerned expression.

"...We've been kept out of the loop a little more than usual since the beginning of the academic year - as per your request," Ignis sighed, looking down once more to add a few notes to the highlighted days, "so while it's difficult to say with certainty, I must admit I have no reason to believe this year should be any different. It can't be helped; your father is a busy man, after all."

"I don't mind anymore," Noctis scoffed, closing his eyes. "Besides, what kind of sixteen year old guy looks forward to celebrating his birthday with his family?" 

Ignis laughed affectionately, "There's no shame in that if you were to." Then he stood up, putting his phone away.

"...You sure you're gonna be OK escorting me all those days, though?" Noctis peeked open one eye as Ignis walked across the room to the door, getting ready to leave. "You're not gonna, you know, get bored or anything?" 

"I'm sure," Ignis replied with a smile. "If you must know, it turns out Prompto's apartment isn't far from either the school or Gladio's place. It's where I went during your dinner together and where I've been invited over to anytime since - a convenient and entertaining enough location."

Noctis relaxed back into the mattress.

"...Hey, Iggy?"

"Hm?" 

"This is OK, isn't it? I mean, all this... It's OK, right?" 

Ignis paused thoughtfully, letting go of the door handle to turn and face Noctis again. 

"Are you referring to... our current daily lives?" 

"Mm..." Noctis curled up on the bed. "I mean, I knew it was a selfish request to begin with but... I never expected to-- With Prompto and... Gladio... I didn't expect to like them so much, you know?" 

Ignis crossed the bedroom floor to perch himself beside Noctis on the bed. 

"...Are you regretting meeting them?" the older teen asked tentatively.

"No! I'm glad we met!" Noctis shook his head, burrowing it slightly deeper into the soft pillow. "I just meant... I dunno. I've been thinking about what happens after? I mean, I'd always assumed I'd go to school, have some fun, then graduate and disappear - go back to our normal lives, take up my responsibilities as the next head and..."

Noctis trailed off and Ignis sighed sympathetically. He understood the young master's conundrum. In all honesty, he was enjoying himself far more than he'd expected to too - if it weren't for his daily reports back to the higher ups, it would be easy for even Ignis to lose himself in his current role as an ordinary high school student. Prompto and Gladio had become important constants in their lives and it was a little painful to imagine not being able to keep them there indefinitely. The deception Ignis could deal with - being from a mafia background was irrelevant to their interactions, after all - but the thought of what should happen a little over two years from now... 

It was uncomfortable, but Ignis was a logical person and he knew where his responsibilities lay.

"...I don't consider there to be anything wrong with that assumption, Noct."

Noctis grunted into the pillow, non-committal in his response. Maybe he was disappointed with the reply, so Ignis decided he had better elaborate.

"Everyone has the right to be selfish sometimes - you desired to experience school life and here we are, doing just that. But to drag others into problems which don't concern them simply for your own benefit... Perhaps that could be considered a level of selfishness too far. After all, what's normal for us is not the same for the majority of others; those two aren't from this world and would likely not react well to it."

"You're saying not to tell them anything, aren't you?" Noctis murmured quietly. Although what Ignis had said didn't exactly apply to Gladio, the younger teen decided not to react to the comment.

"I'm saying..." Ignis paused, struggling to express himself well. "Do you remember the Fleurets clan, in the Tenebraean district?" 

"At the edge of Insomnia? Of course," Noctis looked up at Ignis. "I spent like half a year at their manor after... you know." He shifted a little on the bed, twisting his back into a more comfortable position. 

"Right," Ignis nodded. "And you're also aware of our longstanding turf war with the Izunias. While the Fleurets are still very much one of our sub families, the physical distance between our households and their near proximity to Niflheim creates undeniable tension between their members: the traditionalists fixed upon their allegiance to us while others are keen to defer loyalty to the Izunia clan."

"...Right," Noctis frowned lightly. "And you're bringing this up now because?"

"Because these are the kinds of politics you're expected to keep abreast of and, more often than not, intervene with," Ignis sighed. "And you know the kind of not-exactly-this-side-of-the-law situations these interventions can escalate to... My point is, you're going to end up becoming just as busy a man as your father is, so..."

"I get it, I get it," Noctis huffed. "Forget about it for now? Live in the present? Why expose those guys to potential danger?"

"Precisely," Ignis smiled fondly, patting the younger teen on the shoulder. "Leave the future and the politics for now and focus on enjoying your own selfish self."

"Gee, thanks, Iggy," Noctis deadpanned. 

"You're welcome, Young Master," Ignis replied in a similar amused tone. 

Ignis moved to stand up again and Noctis rolled over, propping himself up on one elbow.

"...You won't tell Clarus or anyone what we just talked about, right? How I'm getting soft and thought about breaking our agreement to keep my identity secret?"

"Of course not," Ignis stopped, looking slightly hurt. "While I take my duties seriously, I consider my allegiance to lie with the Young Master first and foremost. I'm well aware of which information I must supply and which is under my discretion to keep private."

"...Yeah," Noctis breathed, body visibly relaxing. "Sorry, I know."

Ignis pursed his lips together, wondering if it was OK to say what he wanted to next. 

"...More than allegiance and duties though, and especially over these last few months, I... consider you my friend above anything else, Noct. I wouldn't do anything to betray our friendship."

The room was silent as Noctis blinked up at him and Ignis hoped he hadn't pushed things too far with his admission - but then Noctis' face melted into a soft smile and completely washed away any of Ignis' worries.

"Yeah, I've always thought of you as a friend, too. You're not just some subordinate to me - and I know I've never said it, so... I'm glad you feel the same."

Ignis cleared his throat, not sure if he was about to start blushing (from embarrassment or from happiness, it didn't matter) and quickly walked over to the door again.

"Yes, well," Ignis managed to force himself to spare a backwards glance before he turned the handle, "make sure you sleep well tonight and I'll see you in the morning then, Noct."

"Yeah," Noctis laughed. "Night, Iggy."


	9. You're On, Big Guy

"I was thinking we should do some stamina training each time we meet," Gladio commented, digging around in his bag as Noctis lightly stretched next to the wall. "Work on that weakness of yours."

It was their first time meeting for their private training sessions - at around 10am on a Monday, a picturesque summer's day. Ignis had dropped Noctis off early at the school gates, loitering in the shadows until Gladio had arrived. He'd watched as the two entered the grounds together, ensuring Noctis was safe, before calling Prompto to say he'd be over soon. 

Gladio had opened up the changing rooms first, the two of them getting dressed quickly and leaving the bulk of their things there, then they'd headed straight across to the dojo.

Noctis would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't feeling a little anxious - alone together with Gladio for a couple of hours of one-on-one physical activity - but his excitement won over his nerves and he was trying his hardest to keep himself as casual as possible. He still had Ignis' advice in mind, too: to live in the present and to enjoy being his 'own selfish self'. So no matter how attractive Gladio might be or how hot and sweaty they were gonna get, he was gonna do his damndest not to let himself get affected. Rather, he was going to take as many liberties as he could and enjoy himself without being damn awkward about it.

Noctis nodded along to the captain's words, fingers laced together to flex and loosen up his wrists while he rolled one ankle on the ball of his foot. "I'm up for that."

Lack of stamina was still the main thing holding him back, after all, and it was kind of flattering how the third year had kept that in mind.

"Ever heard of the Bleep Test?" Gladio asked, strolling over with his phone in one hand. 

Noctis paused. "No? What's that?"

"Running," Gladio grinned, slinging one arm over Noctis' shoulder as he showed him the app on his screen. "You run a fixed distance, say from one side of the hall to the other, and you gotta get there before the bleep."

"So you're timed, basically?" Noctis subtly relaxed into the older teen's touch, cocking his head in thought. 

"That's right, with one catch," Gladio scrolled down so Noctis could see the options which came up. "The interval between the bleeps gets shorter each time. You go for as long as you can without getting caught out... It's a great way of pushing and challenging yourself."

"Sounds interesting," Noctis hummed, wondering if he was being too bold to rest the back of his head against Gladio's shoulder... But then the third year shifted slightly, pulling Noctis closer against him as he brought up his other hand to type with both thumbs together. 

"Look, you can set the distance and how often and by how much you wanna increase the bleeps," Gladio explained, voice dropping to just above a murmur as he allowed his head to drop a little lower too. 

Gladio was practically embracing Noctis from behind now, arms wrapped loosely around his chest and chin just shy of resting atop his head. Noctis could feel the warmth of the senior's breath tickling his hair as he spoke, and it sent a gentle warmth running down his spine and over his cheeks.

"Whaddaya say we do this at the start of every session?" Gladio continued, nonchalantly swiping through the options. "To make things more interesting, we can add stakes..."

"Sure?" Noctis replied, pushing his back slightly harder against Gladio's front as he pretended to tilt his head in order to see the phone screen better. "What'd you have in mind?" 

"Mm... Loser has to do one thing the winner wants, no complaints?" 

Noctis couldn't help but laugh: it was a surprisingly childish prize.

"That a no?" Gladio leaned to the side so he could see Noctis' face and the freshman turned his head to meet his gaze as best he could.

"I didn't say that. You're on, big guy," Noctis smirked. "I know I'm faster than you - just a case of getting my stamina up, isn't it."

"That's right - and to give us both a chance we won't decide on the winner until the last session. How about that? All the others can just count as practice."

"You got it," Noctis looked down at the captain's phone again, resisting the urge to snuggle himself back against his chest once more. He wondered if he should put some more distance between them again, now that the conversation was ending, but Gladio made no sign of moving so Noctis didn't either. 

"Oh, I've got this other app to show you while we're here."

Noctis felt the third year shift and push his chin firmly into his hair - not just vaguely brushing against it this time - so he took the opportunity to dip his own chin a little lower and tuck himself back into the crook of Gladio's neck. He held his breath slightly, hoping the older teen wouldn't think it too much and move to push him off. 

"Prom was saying you're really into your phone apps so I was looking up stuff I thought might interest you - for training purposes, of course," Gladio continued; if he'd noticed Noctis being a little more tactile than usual, he didn't show any signs of acknowledgement. 

"Apps to help with training?" the freshman questioned, watching as Gladio searched through his home screen. 

"Yeah, like that Bleep Test one. This one you can do anywhere though - it's for improving your reflexes."

Noctis hummed with interest, relaxing a little more into the senior's warmth. 

"It's pretty simple - you just need to press or slide whichever shape lights up and you get points for how fast you do it... The levels get harder the more you do and there's some kinda online leaderboard to compare scores... It's like a simplified rhythm game, I guess. Well, it's free so..."

"Wanna give me a demo?" Noctis asked, feeling braver the longer they spent pressed together and wanting any excuse to stay that way for longer. 

"...Yeah, sure."

They were standing beside the wall still, so Gladio let his shoulder drop so the top of his arm pressed against the brick. His hold on Noctis was loose enough for the younger teen to take that chance to break apart, if he wanted, but Noctis chose to just go with the movement instead - shifting his weight more fully onto Gladio's chest as the third year ended up cradling him slightly tighter. 

It was a strange, tentative dance they were doing: neither mentioning it but both testing and probing just how intimate they could be without the possibility of making things awkward... Gladio leaning against the wall with Noctis wrapped in his arms, both looking down at the older teen's phone... That was still casual enough for a pair of bros hanging out, wasn't it? It was no different to their usual mock hugs and headlocks, was it? 

"I'm gonna put the background music off though cos that shit's distracting," Gladio mumbled, pressing through the options as he spoke.

Noctis thought he was distracted enough as it was to be concerned with background music, but whatever. As long as the other guy wasn't complaining about their current position.

Gladio was surprisingly calm as he played - he kept a level head even as the game became more difficult and he was visibly struggling to keep up, finally timing out after a successive chain of three missed points. It was a pretty respectable score.

"And that's how it's done," Gladio breathed, letting the phone relax backwards in his hands. "Not bad, huh?" 

"Yeah, I'm impressed," Noctis grinned, feeling a little mischievous now they'd been in the same position for so long. "Can I have a quick go?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Noctis brought one hand up and their fingers briefly brushed together as Gladio handed the phone over. It shouldn't have meant much really, considering how much they touched when training, but for some reason the light carress felt oddly intimate to them both - though both hid well the fact they were conscious of it.

"I think I'd do better sitting down though," Noctis spoke carefully - voice measured yet slightly forced if you knew him closely enough - and pushed his heels into the ground so he could slide down to sitting on the floor.

Gladio could've stayed standing if he wanted - of course he could have - but instead he went with the motion and allowed himself to slide down too, arm pushing against the wall for balance as Noctis pushed against his chest. He bent his legs as he dropped down, spreading them wider as he settled himself onto the ground so Noctis was trapped between them. His hands found themselves clasped lightly together on Noctis' stomach and he leant his chin on the side of the freshman's head - so he could see the phone screen was his excuse.

Noctis didn't seem to mind. In fact, Noctis seemed just as relaxed with their new position, weight pressed once more against Gladio's front as he set up the game to start. 

"OK... Here I go," Noctis murmured. 

Gladio only half watched how the younger teen was doing, his mind instead fumbling over what they were doing together on the floor of the dojo. Slinging an arm over a shoulder was one thing, and turning that into a subtle hug from behind was another, but having Noctis practically cradled in his lap was entirely different, wasn't it? Wasn't this how lovers sat when watching a movie together? But if Noctis wasn't moving away... What did that mean? That he hadn't noticed, or he didn't mind, or that he wanted it, or maybe that he was just too polite to say anything because Gladio was his senior and the club captain after all? There were too many damn variables and not enough behind any of them to say anything out loud and question directly.

"Ahhh I lost!" 

Noctis' sigh broke Gladio's thoughts and he looked down to see the score flashing on screen. 

"Thought I'd get closer than that to you," Noctis complained, dropping his head back against Gladio's chest with his eyes closed and doing a good job of playing oblivious to the double meaning his words held. His heart was pounding in his ears - and he was glad he was positioned in front so Gladio couldn't feel it - but he willed himself not to show any signs of nervousness.

"Nah, you did well for your first time," Gladio chuckled, resisting the urge to squeeze the younger teen tighter. Instead, he dropped his hold around Noctis' stomach in an attempt to stand up.

Although he was enjoying himself, now the intimacy was making him confused Gladio thought he'd better break it up before he let his mind run away with itself any further. He didn't want to spoil things by getting the wrong idea... Besides which, he'd always taken the younger teen's cute awkwardness to be signs of affection and the guy sure as hell wasn't giving that impression today.

Noctis was a little disappointed to feel Gladio shift behind him, clearly intending to stand up, but he figured he'd pushed his luck far enough already and he should just be grateful to be held for as long as he had been. The freshman rocked forwards to crouching before pushing himself back up again, turning round to offer Gladio a hand to help him up.

"Send me the link later and I'll practice some more when I can," Noctis smiled, hoisting Gladio up and handing him back his phone. 

"Will do," the senior replied easily. "Now let's do a quick warm up before trying out that Bleep Test, yeah?" 

It was funny how they slipped back into their normal exchanges - as if the moment they'd just shared hadn't just happened or that it wasn't something a bit more than was appropriate for just friends - but for all their bravado, both teenagers were surprisingly shy when it came to matters of the heart. It was easier to ignore anything for fear of being wrong than to take the chance to push any uncertainties further.

The rest of their private sessions carried on in a similar manner. Noctis wasn't experienced enough to know what he was doing actually counted as flirting (he was fortunate Prompto wasn't around to witness it or he'd never live it down) and Gladio wasn't confident enough to see past his own denseness, so their relationship stayed pretty much the same, despite now being peppered with even more questionable comments and lingering touches than before.

True to his promise, Ignis continued to escort Noctis without actually entering the school grounds - and with each journey they slowly became more relaxed over the whole affair. As the weeks passed, Noctis was soon walking to the school from the subway station himself and just texting Ignis when he arrived (this began the day Prompto wanted to buy some new clothes, so it made sense for Ignis to stay by the subway in the shopping district rather than walk the short distance to school and back).

Similarly, at the end of the session Ignis would meet up with Noctis at the station (rather than hide in the shadows near the school) and they would ride the subway back to the Manor together. Previously, the pair had met at the end of the tree lined path - where Gladio would head in the opposite direction to get home - but this new pattern began the one day it rained unexpectedly and Noctis had forgotten to bring an umbrella.

"Oh man, the forecast never said anything about this!" 

Gladio laughed at the freshman's outburst, looking out of the changing room's open door at the sudden downpour. 

"It's really letting it down, huh?" 

"Letting? More like chucking it down as hard as it can," Noctis pouted, running one hand backwards through his hair. "I didn't even bring a jacket!" 

Gladio grinned and fished around in his bag, bringing out a compact umbrella with a flourish. 

"Ta da! If you ask nicely, I might just share with you," Gladio crooned teasingly, swinging the umbrella nonchalantly by its strap.

"...Are you always this well prepared?" Noctis raised an eyebrow, secretly impressed. 

"Yeah, well... Wish I could take the credit for it, but it's Iris who's the one that's well prepared. She bought this for me as a gift," Gladio puffed his chest a little with pride. "Nice, huh?" 

"Nice," Noctis agreed, always enjoying the way Gladio lit up when talking about his sister. "How is she anyway? Enjoying cram school?" 

"Well, more than being stuck at home, I'm sure," Gladio shrugged, opening up the umbrella outside the door and gesturing for Noctis to step underneath. "Not like she needs help with her grades, but it keeps her busy."

Noctis smiled fondly, taking the umbrella's handle as he waited for the captain to find the changing rooms' key. "She'll end up a proper genius by the time the summer's over."

"Just like her big bro," Gladio laughed. "I'll walk you down to the station, OK?" 

"Thanks," Noctis smiled, pulling out his phone to send Ignis a hurried text while the captain locked up. 

Gladio took the umbrella back as they headed towards the school gates - he was taller, after all - and the two bumped into each other a little awkwardly as they squeezed under the small covering. Gladio considered making a teasing comment, something along the lines of whether Noctis was embarrassed to be seen walking together looking like a couple, but he held his tongue and decided to swap hands instead: he moved the umbrella into his left as he brought his right up to tug Noctis closer around the top of his arm, shamelessly hugging him tight while the thin black material obscured their faces from the rest of the world. 

"No point sharing if you're gonna end up getting wet anyway, is there..."

Noctis clutched a little tighter at the strap of his bag, still determined to keep up with his newfound pretence of not letting the third year visibly fluster him. Gladio definitely wasn't making it easy though. 

"Nope," Noctis managed to reply, popping the P with his efforts. "I'm trusting you to keep me well and truly dry..." and he relaxed his stride beside the other teen, flexing his shoulders a little into Gladio's chest.

"Like a shield," Gladio purred and Noctis laughed, feeling as if he belonged there with the way their bodies fit so perfectly together.

So the time had flown by and the week long training camp had arrived: though it was called a camp there was no staying overnight involved, it simply consisted of a whole day's training for five days of the week.

It was a little odd being surrounded by the other club members again in the dojo, after their many hours spent alone, but Noctis tried not to let it disappoint him too much. He'd honestly just been spoilt the past few weeks with the amount he'd been able to monopolise of Gladio's time, so it took a little getting used to not having him constantly there to give feedback or to partner up with. 

Noctis was pleased, however, when Gladio didn't start the session with their usual Bleep Test training. It was a petty thing to become protective over, but Noctis enjoyed the fact it had become something personal to just the two of them. He didn't ask Gladio about it during the camp and Gladio didn't mention it either, but he felt like it hadn't been forgotten despite the fact.

The morning classes were spent focusing on speed, stamina and strength training while the actual sparring drills were saved for the afternoon. Noctis made the most of practicing with a variety of partners again, half certain his current motivation for doing well at club wasn't just personal but more in order to make Gladio proud. He supposed it didn't matter, really, as long as he was doing well.

"Hey, Noct," Gladio caught the freshman by the shoulder at the end of the Friday's session. "Great work today!"

They'd finished the camp with a mini mock tournament, divided by weight only and not by grade. As expected, Gladio had won his bracket - first to 5 points and with no points against him for any matches - but Noctis had done surprisingly well to come third in his group. Following Gladio's advice, the first year had focused on his high kicks to win quickly before his lack of stamina could get the better of him (though that had been improving recently). He was finally knocked out when paired up against a third year with a knack for footwork and feinting, and had lost after being struck with five successive simple punches to the chest: in that case, slow and steady had won the race and left him knowing he still had a lot to learn.

"Thanks, Captain," Noctis smiled in reply, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

The dojo was still half filled with people, milling around and reluctant to leave as they chatted, and Gladio steered Noctis towards one side so they could catch a little privacy.

"How'd you find the camp, then? Glad you came?" 

"Yeah," Noctis nodded, mimicking Gladio's body language to lean beside him on the wall. "I had fun, even if it was kinda exhausting!"

The third year grinned and knocked the tops of their arms together.

"...Not too exhausting, I hope. I er... I had fun with our little one-on-one sessions too. Hope you're still free next week to meet me back here again?"

Gladio was looking out over the hall as he spoke and Noctis ducked his head a little, hiding a grin to try and sound casual.

"Yeah, I gotta admit I missed those..."

"Missed having me to yourself?" Gladio quipped, still looking away.

"Yeah, actually. I did."

Noctis wasn't making eye contact either, but pushed their arms slightly harder together as he stated his answer in a nonchalant tone. He still wasn't quite able to mock flirt like Gladio could, but Noctis had become good at deadpanning his honest feelings in a way which could be taken as a joke.

Gladio laughed.

"I've got more shifts at work so we can't do Mondays anymore - the boss said the last two weeks of Summer are always the busiest with people clinging to the last of their holidays - but I've kept Thursday open for ya. 10am, as usual?"

"Sounds good to me," Noctis tilted his head so his temple rested on Gladio's shoulder; Gladio subtly shifted a little to give him a more solid base to lean on.

"...It's a date, then."

Noctis just hummed as they continued to watch their teammates mess around and say their goodbyes, lapsing into a comfortable silence.

"Hey, Gladio! Nyx needs you for a sec!" 

Another third year waved across at them from the other side of the dojo and Gladio reluctantly pushed himself up from the wall again with a sigh.

"...Duty calls."

Noctis stayed where he was, bringing one hand up in a playful salute.

"It's OK, I'll catch up with you on Thursday... Don't be late." 

"I'd never keep _you_ waiting," Gladio winked.

And so, after almost a week of impatient anticipation, Thursday came and Noctis found himself stretching at the edge of the mats with Gladio beside him. They'd spent their morning mainly working on footwork - how to avoid attacks and looking for the best space to step into in order to set up your own or counter - and had saved their Bleep Test for the end of the session.

"Whaddaya think about making this one the real thing?" Gladio asked, legs straight as he bent over to touch his toes.

"You mean our little wager?" 

"That's the one," Gladio grunted as he straightened up again. "I've been thinking about what I want you to do for me."

Noctis shook out his arms and bounced on the balls of his feet.

"That's funny, cos I've been thinking about what I want _you_ to do."

They shared a playful grin, glancing across at each other from the start line, before Gladio set up his phone at the side.

"Here we go then... No crying when you lose."

"...Right back at ya, big guy."


	10. Don't Make This Weird!

"Un... believable..." Noctis gasped, bent over double as he struggled to catch his breath again.

"What?" Gladio came striding towards him, hands on his hips as he arched his back to open up his lungs as best he could. "Me?" 

"You," Noctis pointed an accusing finger, still bracing himself against one knee as he continued to gulp in air. "I never even... had a chance!"

Gladio finally reached the freshman and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, shoving him lightly as he spoke.

"You did better than... last time..." he laughed, out of breath too, then dropped his arm back down and let himself collapse onto the mats by Noctis' side.

"Yeah?" Another shaking drag of breath inwards. "So did... you!"

Gladio just shrugged, feigning innocence. 

"Not my fault... if I'm better than you."

Then without warning he tugged Noctis down by his wrist and caught him in a light headlock.

"Hey!" 

Breathless and panting they half wrestled, playfully fighting for dominance, before eventually ending up in a comfortable heap: legs entangled together, Gladio flat on his back with one arm slung over Noctis' shoulders and Noctis face down with his ear pressed against Gladio's chest, one arm tucked between them and the other resting lightly on the third year's stomach.

"Pinned ya," Noctis gasped out teasingly - though it was obvious Gladio had conceded to allow their current position.

"Better count to 10... to make sure," Gladio hummed, lazily closing his eyes.

The dojo was then silent save for their ragged breathing as they lay there, soaking up the summer sun through the windows. Noctis could hear the rapid thumping of Gladio's heart echoing inside his head and he closed his eyes too, almost lulling himself to sleep with the steady rise and fall of the older teen's chest.

"...Unbelievable," Noctis finally scoffed, once he was sure he was able to speak normally again. "Didn't think you were the type to lead someone on like that."

"Hey, I'd never lead you on," Gladio chuckled, lightly brushing his hand against Noctis' head then leaving it resting there, fingers loosely snatching at the younger teen's hair.

"No?" Noctis was completely relaxed now. "Why didn't you run like that all those other times then?"

Gladio grinned, absentmindedly scratching small circles with his index finger. "I was keeping you motivated. So you wouldn't get discouraged."

"But you thought it'd be fine to rub it in my face today? Beat me by three whole laps?" Noctis cracked open one eye, enjoying the listless tickles against his scalp.

"No, well... I was curious. Wanted to know how much I could actually do," Gladio laughed, the sound rich and deep, vibrating straight into Noctis' skull - and he couldn't help but be a little less mad at Gladio because of it.

"No wonder you suggested a prize," Noctis sighed dramatically. "You never thought I'd win."

Gladio stifled his laugh this time with a soft murmur. "That's not true - you improved over the weeks, didn't ya? Just... not enough to catch up with me."

Noctis scoffed again, shutting his eyes once more. 

"...Unbelievable."

They stayed like that for a little longer, comfortable and relaxed in their bubble, when Gladio eventually broke the silence.

"...Let's skip training next Thursday."

"Huh?" Noctis blinked his eyes open again and paused for a second. "You... don't wanna meet?" 

"Didn't say that," Gladio roughly tousled the back of Noctis' head, making the younger teen wriggle back up to sitting in order to shrug him off. "I'm telling you to do whatever it is you had planned that day in the morning, so you're free in the evening instead."

Noctis cocked his head to one side. 

"...You wanna meet in the evening?" he asked, almost hesitantly. 

Gladio sat up too, shimmying himself slightly back on the mats so they could see each other's faces properly.

"Yeah - that's the thing I want you to do for me," Gladio nodded, gesturing out of the window. "Thursday evening, there's a festival over in the park. Let's go together."

Noctis blinked dumbly for a moment. Go to a summer festival with Gladio? That almost sounded like... a date? Of course he wanted to - but going to somewhere crowded like that, at night, just the two of them... Noctis hated the fact he needed to ask, but he swallowed down his discomfort and made himself say it anyway; better that than not go at all.

"...Can we ask Iggy to come too?" Then he tacked on as an afterthought, to make it sound more natural: "And Prom?" 

Unexpectedly, Gladio laughed. As much as he wished he was actually asking Noctis to go alone with him, that was never the plan to begin with - but if Gladio didn't laugh at the freshman's reaction showing how he would've been shot down if he'd tried, then his heart wouldn't have been able to take the disappointment.

"Yeah, of course," Gladio smiled. "I was gonna bring Iris along anyway - I'm sure she'd love to meet 'em too." He really should've picked his words better to begin with.

"Great," Noctis smiled back - though he was relieved Gladio didn't mind, he couldn't help but feel disappointed that he'd almost gotten the wrong idea. He smiled a little wider, needing to find the whole thing amusing rather than feel too hurt about it.

"You know I would've come anyway though, right?" Noctis commented after a short pause. "You sure that's what you want me to do for losing?" 

"Yeah, it's fine," Gladio grinned, finally standing back up again. "Why, what'd you think I'd ask for?" 

"I dunno," Noctis took Gladio's outstretched hand and allowed himself to be hoisted up to standing, too. "Something more like a punishment?" 

Gladio lightly chewed the inside of his cheek in thought.

"OK then... You gotta wear a yukata that evening."

"Sure," Noctis laughed, "but that's still not a punishment."

"Well, what were _you_ thinking of then?" Gladio put his hands on his hips. "If you'd won?" 

Noctis rolled his shoulders, absentmindedly clicking out his back. Truthfully, he hadn't actually thought about it. What would he like Gladio to do? Something to push their closeness without making things awkward... 

"A... massage?"

"Hm?" 

"Massage my back for me, or something?" the freshman clarified - because Gladio had kinda done that before in the changing rooms all those weeks ago, so surely that level of touching would be fine to ask for? 

Gladio managed to hold back from saying 'That's not a punishment either', instead replying with, "You know I'd do that anyway too, right?" He took a step forward, reaching round to rub at the small of the first year's back. "It bothering you again at all?" 

"No," Noctis shook his head, "it's just an example! I'm fine."

Gladio kept his hand there, then brought his other hand up to turn Noctis round by the shoulder and begin to shove him gently towards to the door.

"Come on then, let's hit the showers and I'll give you that massage now."

"Wait, what? Why?" Noctis protested, though he let himself be marched out of the dojo.

"Cos you want it?" Gladio grinned. "And cos then we'll be even for me 'leading you on' all this time. Whaddaya say?" 

"OK, OK!" Noctis scoffed, a little embarrassed to be getting what he wanted but not enough to object properly. "But why hit the showers first?" After all, they were just laying on each other barely moments before; it's not like they were bothered by each other's sweat.

"Cos I ain't got any oils on me but we've both got shower gel," Gladio replied teasingly. "Might as well do it properly if I'm gonna do it?" 

They'd been in the showers together before and it wasn't strange to be naked in front of each other - a habit imposed during the training camp at Nyx's insistence, something about team bonding and the summer heat being too much not to - though admittedly, they wouldn't normally be touching each other while naked... Gladio wasn't sure how much of what he was saying was true and how much was teasing, but if Noctis really didn't want to then surely he'd say so and Gladio would back down, no problem.

"...If you're going all out then I'm expecting it to be even better than last time," Noctis quipped, grateful he was in front so Gladio couldn't see his expression; he didn't even know himself if he was possibly blushing or not.

Shit. Really? Was Gladio _really_ suggesting he massage his back while they were in the showers together? With soap?? Noctis would be lying if he said he didn't want it, but could he keep himself calm enough to get through it without making things weird? Because if Gladio really _was_ suggesting it - it was hard to tell if it could just be playful fake flirting instead - then obviously it was just meant as bros and nothing more.

They got to the changing rooms and gathered their things, both of their hearts thumping faster in anxious anticipation and both of them trying to hide it behind a veil of masculine nonchalance.

The shower room was simply just that: ten shower heads on opposite walls, five each side, with roughly a metre between each one. No partitions, no privacy. Towels were hung on hooks by the entrance - if you were naked in front of each other while showering, what difference would a short walk make - and there was the unspoken etiquette that eyes were to remain above waist level at all times.

They picked a pair of showers beside each other and got to washing themselves down, at Gladio's suggestion: get the work out of the way first before playing. They usually just chatted casually while showering - about the training they'd just done or what they'd be eating for dinner, things like that - and Noctis was glad he was able to keep up a normal conversation. When he got to rinsing out the suds in his hair, he almost thought the whole massage idea had been a joke after all, but then Gladio went and asked:

"So, you ready for that massage now? Or did ya change your mind?" 

Noctis swallowed. This was it, his last chance to back out. 

"Yeah, I'm ready when you are," he heard himself replying, needlessly rinsing his arm again as a distraction. "Where do you want me?" 

Thank Bahamut his voice wasn't shaking because Noctis felt like he was about to burst with nervous excitement.

"Mmm..." Gladio hummed in thought and the deep rumble turned straight into butterflies in Noctis' gut.

"Why not brace yourself on the wall," the third year instructed, a little slowly, "and just relax while I do my thing. I promise I'll make you feel good."

Noctis did as he was told, leaning his forearms on the wall between their shower heads and planting his feet a little wider than shoulder width apart. He hung his head down slightly, not really knowing where to look but glad again that Gladio couldn't see his face. There was the click of the shower gel lid opening and Noctis heard the slick squelching as Gladio must have been working up a lather his palms. The noise almost sounded lewd and Noctis had to really concentrate to keep his mind from wandering to inappropriate places.

"OK then, here I go," Gladio murmured.

OK, maybe he _had_ meant the whole thing as a joke... But Noctis hadn't started laughing or tried to outright stop him - so here they were now: naked and alone in the shower room, surrounded by steam and the sharp scent of soap, both of them glad for the humidity as an excuse to hide their blushes.

Gladio brought both his hands together onto Noctis' flesh, just the fingertips at first, hesitant and slow. When Noctis didn't jerk away at his touch Gladio pushed a little harder, sliding his fingers up so his palms pressed against the younger teen's wet skin, and began rubbing small circles upwards and outwards. He started from the base of Noctis spine, concentrating everything he had onto the job at hand, the circles steadily becoming larger and travelling higher up with each sleek push. 

_Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird_.

Noctis was trying to relax - Ifrit's sake, it felt incredible - but he clenched his teeth in an effort not to make any strange noises and focused his stare onto a small chip in one of the tiles in front of him. No doubt about it, Gladio was _good._ And he wasn't making it easy for Noctis to hold back his moans.

_Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird._

The pressure was perfect and Gladio's large hands slid effortlessly over Noctis' smooth skin. When his whole back was covered in a light coating of bubbles, Gladio began using his thumbs to work a little harder at each muscle group in turn, starting at the top near the freshman's shoulder blades and slowly moving south.

_Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird._

When he reached the scar on Noctis' lower back, Gladio paused for a moment. He remembered how reluctant the first year had been before to show him his injury and how their relationship had changed since then - the fact they were doing this right now just showed how much Noctis must trust him... So no matter how curious he was, Gladio wasn't going to ruin that by asking about the injury now. Instead, he chose to ignore it as best as he could while still being mindful, grateful for the white bubbles preventing him from getting a proper look at the marred skin.

A little lost in thought, Gladio dragged his nails in one large smooth oval from Noctis' hips up around the edge of his torso then down in quick zigzagging waves over his whole back to where he'd begun - as if he was clearing his canvas ready to start again.

The sudden tickling movement was too much and Noctis let out a shuddering gasp.

It was quiet, almost drowned out by the water from the shower still beating against the pools at their feet, but it was definitely there. Gladio resumed his massage, squeezing at Noctis' right shoulder now with both hands, and the first year hoped that meant he hadn't heard anything.

 _Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird. Don't make this weird_.

But he had.

And like an intoxicating liqueur, the gasp had washed over Gladio and run through his body and down to his crotch, his ears already burning for another _._

 _Don't make this weird. Is this weird? It's not weird_.

Gladio gulped, then squeezed a little harder at Noctis' tense neck. The first year's head lolled to the side and he gasped again, louder and with a hint of voice this time.

_Shit._

Gladio kept going. He moved his left hand across to work on the other shoulder and used his right to gather up some more suds from Noctis' back - purposefully twisting his splayed out fingertips teasingly close to the line just above where Noctis' ass began. 

Noctis actually groaned. A throaty murmur of pleasure escaped his lips followed by a rapid succession of pants as the first year dropped his forehead against the wall and unknowingly bent forwards to jut his hips a little closer towards his senior.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit_.

Maybe this was a bad idea after all. Gladio's eyes flickered down to his growing erection and in doing so caught a glimpse of Noctis' smooth pale ass directly in front.

_Shit! Don't make this weird!_

Noctis had his eyes closed now, unable to stop the murmurs from coming. He really hadn't meant to make a sound, but with Gladio's hands working their magic and the echoing of the water and the heat and everything else... He gasped again as Gladio pushed kind of aggressively either side of his spine with both thumbs together. Noctis could feel the familiar warmth between his legs pulse heavier with each grunt he made and he hoped to the Six Gladio hadn't noticed the telltale sign of arousal.

 _Please don't make this fucking weird_! 

Gladio was close to gasping himself now, unsure if he should be feeling regretful or damn grateful for the opportunity. When he'd realised his feelings for the freshman at the start of summer, he wouldn't have believed by the end of it he'd be standing behind Noctis' naked ass with a full blown erection and rubbing soap all over his back. It was kind of mindblowingly crazy.

"...I'm almost done," Gladio compelled himself to speak, hoping his voice was steadier than he felt and that the sound of the shower would hide any breathlessness.

"S- sure," Noctis choked back, immediately kicking himself for the stutter. "It feels good!" he blurted out quickly in an attempt to cover his embarrassment.

Gladio brought his palms down Noctis' back one final time, then lightly patted the first year between the shoulder blades to signal he'd finished. The slaps echoed wickedly around the room and both teenagers subtly swallowed away the thought of what the sound reminded them of.

"Thanks," Gladio forced a chuckle. "I'll let you rinse off and I'll head out first." He glanced down at his erection again. "Think I need to make a quick bathroom stop before we leave."

"Sure," Noctis breathed, glad for the time alone as he felt the uncomfortable strain between his legs twitch at Gladio's deep rumble. "You go ahead and I'll catch up."

Noctis listened for the footsteps behind him to leave before he dared to glance over his shoulder - confirming Gladio had actually gone - and his hand immediately jumped to wrap around his length.

Shit. It definitely wasn't the first time he'd jerked off to the thought of the other teen, but it was the first time he'd felt so giddy doing it - knowing the other was just next door so he needed to finish up quick. At least he had plenty of material fresh in his mind to help him along.

In the bathroom stall a mere stone's throw away, Gladio was thinking the exact same thing. He pumped at himself quickly, not taking long to climax at all with the memory of what they'd just been doing in the showers together.

Gladio was already dressed and waiting outside when Noctis exited the showers. The freshman had spent a little longer making sure any evidence had been washed clear and was glad he didn't need to face the captain straightaway afterwards. 

"Ready for me to lock up?" Gladio looked up from where he was leaning on the wall, looking as casual as ever if not a little flushed... Though Noctis thought that could be put down to the summer heat and spending longer than was necessary in a hot shower room.

"Yeah, let's go," Noctis did his best to match that nonchalance. "And thanks again for the massage - next time you gotta let me return the favour."

Because if he didn't treat it as if it was perfectly normal then things would definitely get weird.

"Sure," Gladio grinned. "But before that, you gotta dress up for me on Thursday, yeah?"

Noctis scoffed. Dress up? There was that mock flirting again: the perfect reminder not to read into things too much and this really _was_ normal for a pair of bros. He just needed to keep the jerking off afterwards a secret.

"Yeah, yeah. I've got a yukata, don't worry!" Noctis shook his head. "Lemme text the guys now and see if they're free."

\----------

Thursday evening was ideal: a cool breeze lightly swept through the cloudless black sky, which provided the perfect backdrop to the rows of stalls lining the path down the centre of the park. Colourful banners glowed invitingly - boasting a variety of food, drinks and trinkets on sale - while stallholders touted their wares or called customers over to the games on offer. Red and orange lanterns hung overhead and the air was filled with the bustle of crowds and sound of rhythmic drums being played on a stage somewhere hidden further down.

Iris was a picture of excitement, dressed up cutely in a pretty pink yukata. A delicate cherry blossom pattern bordered her sleeves and a large ivory sash wrapped across her stomach. She had a matching bag in the shape of a moogle's head hanging from her wrist and was, at that moment, clutching a stick of candyfloss with glee as she watched Prompto hit the targets on the rifle range with ease. The two had hit it off almost immediately, both eager to try out as many games as possible, and Ignis had somehow fallen into the role of 'babysitter' - making sure they didn't wander off or forget any of the prizes they'd won.

"Thanks again for coming out with us," Gladio murmured to Noctis. He smiled affectionately at where Ignis was scolding Prompto into holding back a little before the poor stallholder went bankrupt.

"Hey, I told you I wanted to," Noctis huffed back, taking another bite of his candyfloss. Really, he thought he should be the grateful one or he'd likely have been stuck at home bored - it never crossed his mind to check out the local summer festival, having not been to one before.

"Well, thanks for coming through and dressing up then," Gladio smirked, leaning over to steal a mouthful of candyfloss.

Noctis rolled his eyes but didn't move the stick away. "If you wanted one, you should've just got your own."

"Nope, cos I know Iris is gonna struggle to finish hers and I've gotta be ready as back up."

"What a good big bro," Noctis grinned.

He was wearing a yukata, as promised, and had roped Ignis into wearing one too. Noctis' was black, embellished with the detailed outlines of large koi in gold thread, finished with a shiny obsidian waistband. Ignis was in a deep blue with thin silver stripes and a complementary checked silver and blue pattern around his waist. They both had on traditional wooden sandals and, if anyone didn't know better, could easily be mistaken for a pair of models.

Prompto had chosen to wear a t shirt and cargo shorts, with a shoulder bag clipped across his chest, and Gladio was dressed similarly.

"Gladdy, can we try the toffee apple stand over there? Please??" Iris came bounding over happily, her newly won prize of a moogle hairband proudly upon her head, and shoved her candyfloss into her brother's hand. 

"Mmm," Gladio looked unconvinced. "You sure you got space for it?" 

"It'll be fine, _Gladdy!"_ Prompto cut in smiling. "That's what you're here for, right?"

"Food bin and money bank?" Gladio raised an eyebrow. 

"You said it, not me!" Prompto grinned with a wink at Iris and the young girl beamed back, fluffy pompom bobbing above her head as she giggled. "Come on, let's go!"

The two linked arms and Ignis chased after with a sigh, "Really, Prompto. You're such a bad influence!"

Noctis smirked, hanging back to walk beside Gladio. "And Iggy's such a mother hen. He just can't help himself!"

"It's nice," Gladio laughed. "Wish I'd introduced you all sooner."

The evening passed all too quickly in a blur of fun, games and far too much food. Noctis was impressed the two youngest members of their group could keep up the high tension for so long, but he couldn't blame them. The festival was everything he'd imagined it would be, from what he'd seen on TV or in manga, and he couldn't have been happier savouring the lively atmosphere.

Noctis was just returning from chucking their empty food cartons in the bin when he found Gladio waiting for him alone. 

"What happened to the others? Gone ahead to find a good spot to watch the fireworks from?" 

"Something like that," Gladio grinned. "Iris is having the time of her life with those two and I kinda wanted to catch a moment with you alone - so I sent them off with the promise to meet back here when the show finishes."

Noctis' expression softened. He knew how protective Gladio could be, so the fact he'd let their two blonde friends go with her alone was a big thing.

"It's nice you can trust them to look after her, huh," Noctis commented, looking out across the stalls. He smiled, thinking how Ignis must have deemed the festival to be safe anyway or he wouldn't have agreed to leaving Noctis unsupervised.

"Iggy I trust," Gladio clarified in deadpan. "Prom's just the entertainment."

Noctis laughed and Gladio grabbed him by his free hand with a grin.

"Come on, let's head up to that hill. Should be a good view from there," he gave Noctis' hand a light squeeze. "Crowds are getting busier now so don't let go - I don't want us to get split up."

Gladio took the lead, weaving them both effortlessly through the throngs of people, and Noctis let himself be dragged along behind. He had a red and gold water balloon bouncing from a string of elastic in his other hand (won while competing against Gladio at the fishing game) and a Kenny Crow mask fixed at an angle to the side of his head - and he was mindful not to let either get damaged as Gladio cut a path through the bustling crowds.

When they reached their destination, and the hordes of people had thinned to almost nothing, neither let go of the other's hand until they finally came to a stop beside a lone willow tree and they had no excuse to hold on any longer.

"Here," Gladio dug into his pocket and brought out a small gold packet. "I got something for ya."

Noctis took the packet and turned it over in his hands, confused.

"...What's this for?" 

"Happy birthday, Noct," Gladio grinned a little sheepishly. "You didn't mention it so I thought you might not wanna make a big deal about it, but once I knew the date I couldn't just ignore it..." Gladio folded his arms and shrugged. "Go ahead and open it - it's not much, but..."

The first year blinked up, at a loss for words. At 16 years old, Noctis was convinced he was past the need to celebrate his birthday. Besides which, it was hardly something he could bring up himself without feeling lame: 'Hey guys, it's my birthday soon - keep the date free and buy me a gift!'

The gold paper rustled as he carefully tore it off to reveal a stylish black sweatband. The material held a faint checked pattern and the image of a skull was embossed onto one side.

"...Thanks," Noctis whispered, slipping it over his left hand. It was perfect.

"Noticed you using your sleeve during training so figured it might come in handy," Gladio reached across to run his thumb over the material, his fingers lingering around Noctis' wrist. "It suits you."

The first firework shot up into the sky behind them, lighting up the heavens in an explosion of golden sparks. 

Noctis turned his head at the sound, the next flurry of fireworks bathing his features in a warm cascade of pink and orange flashes.

"You were right," the first year stated, a little glassy eyed. "It's a great view from here."

Gladio drank in the sight of the other teen's profile for a moment longer before turning his attention to the display, too.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it."

A cool breeze ruffled Noctis' hair and he reached up to adjust the mask on his head slightly.

"...You really do like dressing me up, huh," he commented, half to himself and half amused. 

"What?" Gladio looked back down, eyebrows quirking.

"The hoodie, telling me to wear a yukata, winning this mask for me and now this," Noctis held up his wrist with a pleased smirk. "I'm not complaining, just saying."

"I... guess," Gladio returned the smile. He hadn't really thought about it, but now Noctis mentioned it maybe it was his protective streak showing through? It wasn't his fault Noctis managed to make everything look so good - even something as lame as Kenny Crow.

Noctis laughed, "I'll get you something to wear too - for mid-Winter celebrations or your birthday, whichever comes first."

"Winter's first," Gladio grinned. "I'm not 18 until April 2nd."

"How'd you know my birthday anyway?" Noctis lightly shoved the older teen's chest with his shoulder, stopping to then lean against him. "Iggy tell you?" 

"Nah, I saw it on the training camp lists," Gladio replied, lifting an arm to hug Noctis against his chest and tuck the top of the freshman's head under his chin.

Noctis hummed in thought, watching the next set of fireworks erupt before them. So Gladio knew about it and purposefully invited him out tonight? Was that what he'd meant when he said to do whatever Noctis had planned in the morning, and why he'd suggested skipping training? He shook the thought from his head - better not read into it it too much.

He didn't have any plans today anyway: as expected, his father had been called away on business (something about visiting Tenebrae to oversee a temporary change in leadership, Noctis hadn't really been paying attention) and the prospect of celebrating together hadn't even been mentioned. Ignis had presented him with a gift in his father's name alongside his own that morning, but Noctis was sure the other teen had picked out both.

"...You know, it's kinda embarrassing?" Noctis spoke, deciding he didn't want to dwell on those thoughts any longer. "You know all this stuff about me and I don't even know your last name."

"You never asked," Gladio teased, pushing his chin down a little harder.

"I'm asking now," Noctis scoffed, pushing back with the top of his head.

"...Amicitia," Gladio chuckled. "It's not a secret."

Another firework burst out across the sky and Noctis felt his eyes widen.

Amicitia?? He'd never planned on discovering Gladio's past, happy with just the information he'd been given, but with that revelation it was a little hard not to. There was only one Amicitia at the Manor, so only one man who could possibly be Gladio's father...

And there was only one man who'd been on Noctis' side, convincing his own father to allow him to attend high school in the first place. Noctis was pretty sure the school was entirely _his_ suggestion, too.

And now he was finding out this same man was Gladio's father? 

No fricking way.


	11. D- Don't T- Tease... Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again, Tiss, for the beta!

As if he wasn't starting to feel guilty enough already hiding one secret from Gladio, knowing his beloved "Uncle Clarus" was actually Gladio's father certainly didn't help matters.

The knowledge bugged Noctis. From Gladio's descriptions, he'd assumed the man would've been a higher-up in charge of one of their many sub groups, but not someone he would know so personally. Clarus was like a second father to Noctis - someone he trusted to look out for him with his best interests in mind, someone he'd known all his life. He was the furthest removed from the image of a man who could 'so easily betray his wife and children', as Gladio had put it. 

Even worse than having yet another secret was the fact that Noctis didn't have a clue what to do about it. He couldn't speak to Ignis about the matter, because that would mean telling Ignis about who Gladio really was, and he could hardly confront Clarus about it because... Well, he just couldn't. He may have been the Young Master, but Noctis still felt like Clarus was above him in rank - he simply had too much respect for the man.

But if Clarus knew enough about Gladio to still be sending him money (which was a sign he still cared, Noctis was sure, not just a way to ease his conscience) then surely he knew full well the school he'd suggested for Noctis to attend was the same one his son attended... And the stipulation to join the karate club, while fitting in conveniently with his own father's wishes, couldn't have been without input from Clarus, too. Had Clarus planned for him and Gladio to become as close as they now were? Or not? What did he actually want?

Another point was that if Gladio hadn't said anything about how he used to live at the Manor, then the Amicitia surname wouldn't have meant anything special either. After all, there was no reason other people in the world couldn't have it without being directly related. But the fact was that Gladio _had_ told him. So had Clarus expected Noctis to make the connection between them or not? Or did he not want Noctis to know?

Why was this whole thing so complicated?

It _bugged_ Noctis.

It bugged him because he hadn't intended on digging up Gladio's past at all, thinking it was none of his business - except now maybe it kind of was.

Noctis hadn't been to the Manor training hall since he'd started high school, and he wasn't expected to be there, either, but his feet somehow ended up dragging him there as his thoughts swirled continuously round his mind.

Seeing as he was there now anyway, Noctis took it as a sign from the Astrals that he might as well try doing some subtle probing. Maybe he could wheedle out some information without making it obvious he knew anything himself.

The familiar sounds of men shouting with exertion, fabric snapping forcefully around limbs and heavy thuds echoing against the wooden floor, greeted Noctis as he dithered at the entrance. Clarus was there at the front, as commanding as ever, frowning as he barked out instructions to the men who were in the midst of sparring in pairs: today's focus seemed to be on knife skills.

When the session ended, Noctis finally stepped inside as he saw Clarus approach. His expression was hard set, as usual, and Noctis found himself studying the older man's features in a different light - yes, he supposed he could see the resemblance.

"And to what do we owe this honour?"

Clarus' voice was flat but Noctis could sense the teasing tone behind his words.

"What, I'm not allowed to be here?" Noctis shrugged, forcing himself to look nonchalant.

"Young Master!" the men chorused as they noticed Noctis' presence and the teen lightly nodded in their direction in reply.

"If you're here, you'd better be here to train," Clarus folded his arms. "This isn't a spectator sport."

The idea of training with Clarus made Noctis internally grimace: even if watching the class just now hadn't reminded him, he knew Clarus had a reputation for being unnecessarily merciless. Especially when sparring with the man himself - which was not something Noctis was keen to do. Ever.

"Hey, I train everyday at school. More than I used to, right? I just thought I'd come check up on things," Noctis put one hand on his hip and gestured at the older man, trying to change the subject. "We've not had a chance to chat in a while, right?"

Clarus raised an eyebrow. "Did we ever 'chat' before?"

"Well, you know," Noctis looked around the hall, hoping he was coming across as casual. "Iggy tells you about what I'm up to, but might be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth sometimes?"

"You're referring to yourself as a horse now?" The barest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Clarus' lips.

Noctis sighed in mock exasperation. "Yeah, neigh neigh," he deadpanned, then brightened up again. "Listen, don't you wanna know what I think about the karate club - seeing as it was by your recommendation, right?"

"Ignis tells me you're progressing well, keen to attend. That implies you enjoy it," Clarus stated blandly. "Anything to add?"

Noctis pressed his lips together. Clarus hadn't denied having a part in recommending the club... He hadn't confirmed it either, sure, but...

"Yeah." Maybe he should push a little more. "I think I gotta put it down to the club captain, maybe?"

Noctis blinked up innocently, watching for any change in expression.

Clarus blinked back. "That so?"

Nothing.

"Yeah, his name's _Gladio."_

Noctis paused again.

...Still nothing.

"...Did Iggy tell you we went out to that festival together recently?" Noctis could feel himself floundering slightly. He hadn't expected anything huge from Clarus, but surely _some_ kind of reaction would've been reasonable? Clarus’ straight face almost made Noctis begin to doubt himself.

"He did."

"Yeah! Did he tell you Gladio brought his little sister along, too?" Noctis had both hands on his hips now, nodding along eagerly as he spoke. "Her name's Iris. She's in her final year of elementary school now but she's super mature for her age - helps out with the cooking and cleaning and everything at home. She's really cute and friendly, too!" he laughed. "She--"

"--And you're telling me this because...?" Clarus frowned, interrupting Noctis and making the teenager stutter.

_Because she's your daughter and I thought you cared?!_

Noctis forced his mouth shut from where he was gaping and cleared his throat, albeit a little pathetically.

"Because... it shows the kind of guy the captain is," Noctis decided to steer the conversation back to Gladio instead. "He's pretty responsible - the way he looks after her, that carries over to how he looks after us at club, too. Looks out for us and pushes us to be our best. I figure he makes a good role model."

Noctis paused.

"...You'd like him," he ventured, probing once more for some kind of reaction.

"As long as he's teaching you something useful," Clarus sighed, looking more like he was done with the conversation rather than intrigued.

Noctis subtly grit his teeth in frustration. He wasn't going to give up, though.

"Hey, will you come watch me? In October?"

Clarus lifted his head a little. "Watch you do what?"

"Iggy told you, right? I'm gonna compete in the interhigh tournament. They're hosting it the last Saturday of October at--" 

"--Young Master," Clarus cut him off for the second time that day. "There's a reason we don't discuss which school you attend around the Manor. Do you really think it wise to announce the details of where you'll be on a specific day for everyone present right now to hear?"

Noctis bit his tongue. No, it probably wasn't wise if you were overly paranoid about spies and moles and the need for security, like his father was. But Noctis knew better - his father was just that: paranoid. Noctis wasn't in danger, just as he hadn't been in danger for the past however many years he’d spent in the Manor or the past however many weeks outside, without Ignis glued to his hip, as Noctis' seniors in this place seemed to want him to be.

Still, that was beside the point.

"OK, fine. But that doesn't answer my question," Noctis pressed on. "Will you come watch?"

Because maybe if he could get Clarus to see Gladio in person, that could be the catalyst they needed to get the situation moving towards whatever resolution the older man had in mind. Or maybe Clarus was actually waiting for this exact invitation? Could this be the role Noctis was meant to play?

"Why ask me?" Clarus sighed, frowning again.

Damn if Clarus didn't like to play hard to get, then.

"...Well, I can hardly ask Dad," Noctis decided to pull the pity card, "to come support me, you know... He's so busy and everything..."

"I don't like how that implies I'm not."

_Argh. What the hell. No need to be embarrassed, old man!_

"Well, then maybe you can think of it as an opportunity to see the club captain - get a proper idea of who exactly's been in charge of my training. See what he's like?" Noctis felt like he was practically begging now. It was getting hard not to let on that he knew anything he might not have been supposed to.

"I can tell plenty by sparring with you now," Clarus cracked his knuckles, face set to stone once more.

"Yeah, but, it's different seeing him in person rather than hearing about him, right?" Noctis waved his hands, trying to ignore the way the older man was playing with his fist. "It's not like I'm telling you to go say hi!"

There was a brief pause as Clarus seemed to mull over the suggestion and Noctis felt his hopes rise.

"...Maybe I'll send Cor."

"...Yeah, sure. In that case, don't bother," Noctis frowned, dropping his head and mussing up his fringe in frustration. "Iggy'll be there anyway."

"Indeed. And Ignis does an excellent job, too."

Noctis pouted, lips pressed together and blowing an air bubble to puff out one of his cheeks.

Well, that conversation had been a whole bust. Noctis was still none the wiser about what Clarus really wanted - though it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it, at least. So, what? Was Noctis supposed to pretend like he hadn't made the connection between the two of them, then?

"You know, I'm beginning to think this was all a distraction, Young Master." Clarus narrowed his eyes. "Enough playing games."

"Games? What? Me?" Noctis panicked - was Clarus onto him?

"With me. Now. You and I are going to spar."

"Oh no! Really! It's not--!"

"--Not optional," the older man placed a firm grip around Noctis' wrist, pulling him towards a free space on the wooden floor. "10 minutes to warm up and stretch. Don't waste them."

Was this... the worst possible outcome? Noctis could feel his spirit leaving his body and could only wish he was able to physically follow. Sparring with Clarus. Definitely _not_ part of the plan.

"Better get moving," Clarus called from where he'd strolled over to pick up a couple of rubber training knives. "Don't want you getting hurt now, do we."

Noctis audibly groaned, but begrudgingly started doing star jumps, regardless.

He should've known better than to think he could win a battle of wits, or wills, against Clarus Amicitia himself.

//

"Feels good, right?"

"Y- yeah," Noctis gasped in reply, more breath than voice.

"Just like I promised ya," Gladio purred from behind, punctuating his sentence with a rough squeeze against the freshman's naked back.

Noctis groaned against the wet tiles, the sound of his panting almost drowned out by the cascading shower heads either side of where they stood.

Gladio hummed, a pleased kind of sound, and leant forwards to rest his chin on the other teen's shoulder.

"...You sound really good too, you know," Gladio murmured into his ear and Noctis shivered. "I love the noises you make when I touch you."

Gladio's hands trailed lower, one pausing to thumb circles between his shoulder blades and the other sliding in a smooth firm push against the small of Noctis' back. Noctis arched up into the touch, whimpering as he felt Gladio's fingers trace the lightest of caresses just above his ass.

"D- don't t- tease... me," Noctis forced himself to say, eyes squeezed shut as he felt the heat in his groin throb heavier with each laboured breath.

"Tell me clearly then, Noct," Gladio's lips brushed against the first year's earlobe. "You want me to touch you more?"

"Nngh... P- please!"

Gladio chuckled, finally dragging his nails down over the tight flesh of Noctis' ass, grabbing a handful and squeezing, hard. His nails dug in enough to make Noctis yelp, but not hurt, and Gladio smoothly brought his other hand round to Noctis' front, coating his chest with bubbles. Noctis gasped as Gladio nonchalantly swiped his thumb over one of his nipples, then threw his head down in a throaty moan as Gladio caught the hardening nub on purpose this time - rolling it teasingly between his thumb and forefinger.

"Fuck, Noct, you sound amazing," Gladio grunted into his ear, dipping his head to suckle at the side of his neck. His tongue pulsed softly as his hands continued to rub and squeeze roughly at Noctis' chest and ass, pulling out gasps and moans which echoed deliciously around the steamy shower room.

Gladio flicked the edge of his thumb in a quick repetitive motion over Noctis' nipple, sending electric shocks straight down the younger teen's spine. After one final squeeze, he pressed the fingertips of his other hand down and around Noctis leg, spreading them out to caress Noctis' inner thigh, so _so_ close to where Noctis felt like he must be literally dripping precum, if only Gladio would just _touch_ him there already--

"M'finding it hard to hold myself back," Gladio groaned, bucking his hips forwards to slide his erection against the dip of Noctis' lower back, just above his tailbone. Even through the cool layer of shower gel, Noctis could feel the burning heat from the other teen's crotch as Gladio’s length slipped effortlessly against his skin.

He turned his head to nuzzle against where Gladio was working on another lovebite at the base of his neck, the feeling of the older teen thrusting needily above his ass and the pleasure jolting through his chest almost too much.

"Gladio," Noctis panted, begging, "kiss me... Please...!"

Gladio pulled away, enough to shuffle their position and twist Noctis around, bracing him up against the wall as his hands lingered over his chest.

"Kiss you where?" Gladio was panting too. "On the lips?" He slid his hands down Noctis' front, making his stomach lurch in tingling trepidation, then brought his palms to a rest upon Noctis' thighs. With a nudge, he forced Noctis' legs a little wider apart.

"Or somewhere lower, maybe?"

Noctis gulped and closed his eyes as he felt Gladio drop to his knees. His fingers scrabbled pathetically at the tiles behind him as he waited, already thrusting his hips slightly forwards in anticipation.

"Tell me what you want, Noct," Gladio hovered an inch away, blowing a draft of cold air over the glistening droplets beading at the younger teen's tip.

"Fuck, Gladio!" Noctis choked, squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

"Come on, say it..." A teasing huff of hot breath against him this time.

"I... I want you t- to suck me off..."

"That so?" Gladio's voice dropped deeper.

"I want you to suck me off!"

"And do you think that's what _I_ want?" Gladio's voice sounded deeper still-- No, wait.

That wasn't Gladio's voice anymore.

Noctis' eyes snapped open to see Clarus standing in front, arms crossed and frown in place.

What the fuck?!

"Do you think _this_ is the reason I sent you to the same school as my son?"

Noctis panicked, jerking himself back against the wall - hard enough to bang his head on the tiles - stumbling over his own feet and collapsing to the floor. Why the fuck was Clarus here??

He hurriedly cupped his hands over his crotch, noticing he was no longer naked but dressed in a karate gi.

Gladio was gone.

"You're still a brat, I see," Clarus tightened his belt, also dressed in a similar manner. "Stand up, Young Master. We're going to spar."

Noctis blanched. They were going to spar in the shower room? No, not the shower room. In the school dojo?

Clarus tossed him a training knife.

"Now."

Now?!

//

Noctis woke up panting, but not from pleasure.

Well, that was one way to ruin a perfectly good dream. Fuck. Noctis supposed he only had himself to blame, visiting the training hall that day. 

He rolled over, any signs of arousal quashed completely, and pulled the covers over his head.

Noctis decided that was the last time he was going to try bringing up the subject of Gladio's possible relationship to Clarus. Better to just forget about it and focus his energy on the upcoming tournament instead... And maybe if Clarus _actually_ wanted something from him, he should try just coming out and saying it then.

Noctis sighed, wondering what the chances were of getting another hot dream when he fell back to sleep.

On the plus side, at least his subconscious had been merciful enough not to put him through that grueling sparring session again.


	12. I'd Hate for You to Actually Get Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, Tiss - I'm gonna call you my editor from now on, cos the word 'beta' doesn't do your help justice!

The Autumn term resumed without ceremony. Noctis' trio of friends fell back into the routine of sharing Ignis' homemade lunches together, Ignis would experiment in the Home Economics room after school, Gladio would join them to joke and laugh as they tasted the results, and Prompto would gush over the creations just as enthusiastically as ever. 

The only real difference, if it could even be called that, was for Prompto's gushing to have become even more intense than before. In fact, Prompto and Ignis seemed a whole lot closer than before - enough for even Noctis to notice - though he supposed it was unsurprising given the amount of time they'd spent alone together over the summer.

Just like he and Gladio, really.

The karate club's training also became more intense as October approached: even the half of the club not competing were practicing sparring techniques now, drafted in to help. "The larger the variety of people you can practice against, the better," Nyx had said. "Just cos you're divided by weight, doesn't mean you're gonna be up against someone the same size - he could be super tall and skinny, or maybe even a densely-muscled shorty with some real power behind him, you never know!" So Nyx had them spar against anyone and everyone: better to be over-prepared rather than under.

"Only a couple weeks left," Noctis commented, using his sweatband to wipe at his brow at the end of the session. 

Gladio smiled fondly at the sight, lightly stretching one arm across his chest as he cooled down. 

"How're you feeling?" Noctis continued. "Not nervous, I bet - you've competed so many times already."

"Actually, I am," Gladio grinned, rolling his shoulders now. "A big tournament like this, there's definitely gonna be some scouts there. It's not rare for the school to get contacted after if you impress someone, offering a scholarship if you compete for them at Uni, too."

"Oh," Noctis blinked. "You looking to go to university next year?" 

"Yeah, you forget I'm a senior?" Gladio stepped forward to ruffle Noctis' hair. "Showing your lack of respect for me now, ain't ya!" 

Noctis laughed, half heartedly trying to shove him off, "I respect you! I respect you!" 

Gladio wrapped his arm around the first year's neck, pulling him tight against his chest in a loose headlock from behind.

"Yeah, I wanna do a Classical Literature degree. Study something I enjoy, right? Not sure yet what I'll do with it after… Maybe go into teaching…" Gladio mused, gazing up at the ceiling. "Being captain's been a good experience - I might have a knack for it, getting people to learn and listen to what I say?"

Noctis twisted his head to look up at Gladio, hands on the third year's arm and still in a headlock, but not really minding the contact.

"I think you'd make a great teacher… Maybe you could even come back here and take over advisor duties from Nyx," he joked.

Gladio huffed in amusement, pressing his chin against Noctis' scalp and rubbing it affectionately before releasing the younger teen with a playful shove.

"Well, we'll see. First step is to get onto a course, cos I'm gonna need that scholarship to be able to afford it." Gladio flexed his chest a little, "I don't mean to brag, but I've already got a bit of a name for myself. Just gotta keep up the good image and impress those scouts."

"You'll do great," Noctis nodded encouragingly. Gladio had definitely been on point with his training lately, his winning streak at the club still unbroken. 

He smiled at the older teen softly, barely holding back a sigh.

"I can't see how anyone wouldn't fall in love with you."

\----------

Considering how long everyone had been looking forward to it, Noctis found the tournament itself was over almost entirely too quickly. He'd been overwhelmed at first - finding the sports stadium it was hosted at akin to the summer festival, the crowds bustling and the atmosphere buzzing with excitement - but once it was his turn to step into the ring, Noctis was glad he'd been able to focus well enough.

He'd won his fight with ease (being in the lightest weight and lowest grade category), almost knocking his opponent out with a surprise crescent kick to the head. Noctis had even remembered to look up at the stands upon winning, searching for any familiar faces cheering him on: as expected, Clarus (or Cor for that matter) hadn't shown up - but Prompto and Iris were there waving excitedly beside a proud looking Ignis.

With only four fights needed to win his bracket, Noctis had progressed through the knock out matches to earn first place; Gladio had five rounds (inversely at the heaviest weight and highest grade category) to bring back another gold. Once the total points were totted up at the end of the day, their school had secured first place and a spot in the regional tournament that winter.

Their win was slightly dampened by their reputation and expectation to do well anyway, but it was still cause for celebration nonetheless.

"You sure you won't come join us, Captain? Nyx said he'd treat us to barbecue! Barbecue!!" one of the third years waved excitedly towards where their coach was waiting with the other team members in the foyer.

Gladio laughed, shrugging his sports bag over his shoulder and across his chest, "Nah, I'm good. Got Iris with me today and I promised we'd go out for dessert after. Don't worry, I'll join you when we win Regionals."

The third year grinned, "I like that confidence!" 

"He's just happy he got at least a couple of those scouts eyeing him up," Noctis cut in, standing at Gladio's side. "Did you see 'em? Not even trying to be subtle with their university logos on their jackets, notebooks in hand…"

"Yeah, yeah," Gladio knocked his and Noctis' arms together, "let's not get ahead of ourselves!"

Though the smile on his face was difficult to hide.

The two of them said their goodbyes - Noctis' curfew being the reason for not joining the rest of the team - and made their way outside to wait for Ignis, Prompto and Iris. In reality, the five of them would be going together for a mini celebration of their own.

As he and Noctis stepped out into the crisp early evening air, Gladio noticed a group of suspicious men gathered at the top of the stone steps which led down to the street.

They stood out for all the wrong reasons, dressed in suits but clearly not businessmen (the middle man's suit was _white_ for one thing), glaring at everyone who exited the stadium. He hoped they weren't there to stir up any trouble but, to Gladio's dismay, they visibly perked up upon seeing him and Noctis - one nudging another, putting out their cigarettes on the pavement and flicking them away - spreading out at the top of the tall flight of stairs and blocking their path.

"Young _Master,"_ one of them sneered at Noctis, the two behind him loosening their shoulders and cracking their knuckles in a show of intimidation. "Enjoying your time outside the Manor? We were hoping you'd extend your little field trip by coming along with us now."

Noctis paused in his tracks, eyeing them up with a clenched jaw but not replying - so Gladio cut in front with a glare.

"I don't know who you think he is, but there're no 'young masters' here," he instinctively put his arm out across Noctis' chest as a barrier. "So no, he won't be going anywhere with you." Gladio turned his head to confirm with the first year, "You don't know these guys, right?" 

Still frowning but now biting his lip, Noctis shook his head in confirmation. He seemed to have lost his voice, though, and Gladio didn't like him looking so uncomfortable.

"You see? So why not let us past instead of making a scene?" Gladio growled, voice deep and commanding, not at all unnerved in the face of the three young adults. They appeared to be barely in their twenties, but despite being younger, Gladio was definitely taller and more muscular.

The thug on the left swiped through his phone, glancing between the screen and Noctis, "Nah, this is definitely the Caelum brat. Matches the photo perfectly, here at this tournament and with just one high school aged lackey at his side…" 

"Look, we don't wanna make a scene either," the middle thug interrupted, evidently the one in charge. "So why don't you just come with us and no-one needs to get hurt? Tell your little guard dog here to back off."

Gladio could feel himself starting to get seriously annoyed. If they were making a big deal about Noctis' surname, this group of thugs definitely had yakuza connections. Rather than becoming worried, Gladio found himself getting pissed off instead - what a stupid mistake they were making. They reminded him of the same stupid mistake he'd made all those months ago, his embarrassment over his previous behaviour and his hatred for the mafia bubbling up together and clouding his judgement. 

"You've got the wrong Caelum then," he lightly shoved Noctis backwards with his outstretched arm. "So _you_ back off before I make you."

"Afraid we've got orders from someone a bit higher up than you, kid," the thugs' leader laughed condescendingly. "Master Ravus sent us," he turned his attention to Noctis with a haughty nod and a mock half bow, palm spread over his heart. "We Fleurets are tired of paying homage to your old man - and now we've got a new leader, we've got a new way of running things, too. The Izunias will promise us protection and you, Master Caelum, are the gift to show our allegiance."

He shrugged his shoulders, as if talking about something as simple as the weather, rather than broadcasting yakuza politics for anyone around who cared to overhear.

"So come with us and everyone'll be happy. You'll be returned after your clan pays up and - don't worry - you're _precious_ goods. We won't do anything to mark that beautiful face of yours."

"Can't guarantee we won't leave marks anywhere _not_ on display, though," the man on the right leered, cupping a hand over his crotch and grinding obscenely in Noctis' direction.

The other man laughed as he put his phone away and their leader brazenly smirked, "There you have it - we're offering to show you a good time, too. So tell your puppy to stay put and come with us now, _Young Master."_

Gladio couldn't see how Noctis was reacting to all this, but he was seething so much by now it wouldn't have registered even if he could. The mere thought of any of them laying a finger on the freshman made Gladio want to vomit.

There was a brief silence, no-one moving, then the smirk suddenly fell from the middle thug's face.

"...Grab him."

The man on the right stepped forward with his hand up, and before Gladio knew what he was doing, he'd also stepped forward, sharply parrying the man's wrist with his forearm and twisting on the ball of his foot, planting a spinning back kick squarely into the man's defenceless front. 

The man went flying.

He fell down the stone steps with a choked yell, stumbling backwards while winded, tripping over his feet and rolling down to land with a sickening thud at the bottom. He groaned, splayed out against the pavement, too injured to immediately stand up again.

"You fucking shit!" the thugs' leader yelled, eyes wide as he lunged forwards with a heavy-handed swing to Gladio's face.

Gladio avoided the punch easily, stepping backwards with his hands up, already in a fighting stance. He glanced over at Noctis and saw him about to be grabbed by the other thug. 

"Noct, watch out!" 

The other man had Noctis by the wrist, attempting to pull him closer into a bear hug - but to Gladio's relief Noctis had it under control, breaking the hold and now moving to apply a lock of his own. All those years of aikido hadn't gone to waste, it seemed. 

A glinting blur in his periphery - sunlight reflecting from a golden wristwatch - brought Gladio's attention back to the thug in front of him, barely managing to block another jab to his face in time.

There wasn't enough distance between them to kick, and despite the man's technique being nowhere near as refined as Gladio's, his punches were quick and with clear intent to injure. His stance was closed and his style akin to boxing - it was all the teenager could do to keep blocking and evading; Gladio wasn't used to dealing with such fast flurries of punches or for his opponent to have their upper body so well covered as he swerved and ducked in between attacks.

Still positioned dangerously close to the stone stairs, Gladio's foot slipped down one step as he tried to avoid another well-aimed punch to his jaw. He caught his footing just in time - thinking quickly, Gladio took advantage of the sudden drop in level to swing an uppercut into the other man's chin. 

_Crack._

Gladio exhaled sharply. _Fuck._ Who knew punching someone's face without padded gloves on would _hurt_ so much?! 

He stumbled back up the steps again, needing to get closer to wherever Noctis was, as the thug shook his head and spat onto the ground. He didn't seem like he'd taken much damage, if anything just looking even more pissed off, ready to lay into the third year once more.

Gladio growled, exasperated: hadn't he just won another tournament, dammit? Why wasn't he finding this easier?!

Nyx's words from when he joined the karate club echoed in Gladio's mind while he dodged and countered, increasingly breathless as his body buzzed with adrenaline:

" _Martial arts are for self-defence, not picking fights. You've no idea the number of black belts I know who've been mugged or worse, thinking they could get a few hits in cos of their grade. Wrong! If you find yourself in that kind of situation, there's absolutely no shame in running away. In fact, always run away as soon as you can. Defend yourself, put some distance between you, then escape._ "

Gladio threw a snap punch directly at the man's face, but grazed his nose just short of connecting - just as the man thrust the bottom of his foot into Gladio's knee, forcing the third year to buckle from the sudden sharp pain.

" _The worst time to try and win a street fight is directly in the midst of intense sparring training_ ," Nyx continued in Gladio's mind. " _You wouldn't think it, huh? But when you spar, you're playing a game; you're aiming to score points, not cause injuries. You're looking for kicks to the head and fancy moves - things which don't work on the street - and you're conditioning your body to that and to your opponent fighting in a similar way. So if you get into an actual fight?_ "

 _Nyx whistled_.

" _They're not gonna be playing with karate rules in mind. Remember: competition ready isn't the same as combat ready._ "

Gladio slid backwards on the balls of his feet as the man missed a hook punch to the side of his head. He needed to calm down. Focus. Forget his training and let his instincts take over.

He could hear people shouting and their fighting was undoubtedly drawing a crowd. Would someone call the police? Or were they all too busy just watching in shock? 

Where was Noctis?

"You fucking brat, we don't have time for this," the man snapped, dropping his guard now they had some distance between them. "Learn your place and run back to the Manor with your report: _Ravus_ sent us." He pointed in Gladio's face. "Got it??" 

"I don't know who the hell Ravus is!" Gladio shouted back, shifting the weight on his knee to test how much it hurt. It was throbbing, but not so much he couldn't ignore it.

The man snorted, then turned towards where Noctis was crouching: his left knee was on the pavement and his right was digging into the other thug's back, the older man wincing from the arm lock Noctis had him in.

Noctis' eyes widened as he saw the group's leader come striding towards him, then flit back down to the thug beneath him.

"Noct!" 

Gladio forced himself to run, stumbling forward to snatch at the man's suit from behind.

"Why don't you just fuck off already?!" the man turned on his heel with a snarl, brandishing something in his hand seemingly out of nowhere.

There was the flash of sunlight against metal, then a searing white hot line from his forehead to his jaw; before he realised what was happening, Gladio was down. He heard himself scream out in pain, one hand pushed on the floor for balance and the other pressed hard over his left eye. It hurt. It hurt. His palm felt warm and sticky against his face. It _hurt._

_Where was Noctis?_

"Don't touch me!" 

That was Noctis' voice. He was in trouble.

Gladio's mind raced as he felt his breathing quicken.

_Get up._

_Stand up._

_HELP HIM_. 

Gladio grit his teeth, feeling the adrenaline surge. His face hurt, but the thought of Noctis being the one to get slashed next wrenched at his insides even more painfully.

Grunting with exertion, Gladio scrambled to his feet with his eye squeezed shut.

The thug Noctis just had in an arm lock was now up too, and the one with the knife? He had his back to Gladio and was uncomfortably close to where the first year was standing.

_No, no, no._

The pain down his face didn't even register anymore.

_Noct!_

Gladio charged.

\----------

"Don't touch me!" Noctis released his hold on the thug beneath him, pushing himself up to standing as the group's leader pointed a knife in his direction. "I can stand without you grabbing at me," Noctis hissed, more angry than scared… Or more scared about the implied consequences rather than of what was actually happening.

Shit. He was being attacked, by a rival gang, with Gladio involved and no Ignis in sight. Shit, shit, _shit._ He was going to be in so much trouble when this was all over.

"Glad you've seen sense instead of struggling," the leader snarled, handing the knife to the other thug - who immediately positioned himself in front of Noctis with the tip still pointing at his face - so he could straighten up his suit.

"Now let's go - and no more funny business." He bent his arm and frowned at the sleeve, bright red splatters contrasting sharply against the white. "Fuck, look at this mess. I just got this thing cleaned, too."

Red? Blood? Noctis felt his heart freeze. 

_Whose?_

Gladio came barrelling in from the side, throwing the thugs' leader over his head like some kind of professional wrestler and slamming him hard into the ground before anyone could register what the hell had just happened.

Noctis turned his attention to the man in front of him, eyes darting to the blade in his hand. The edge was red. Blood. Gladio's? 

No fucking way.

"F- fuck," the man was trembling, clearly out of his depth and not having expected to have been dragged into an actual fight. He lifted the shaking blade a little higher, "J- just come with us and don't make me use this!" 

Noctis was seeing red, too. Gladio was hurt? This was never in any of his plans. And now the loser in front of him was trying to threaten him with that same bloodied knife? Noctis' eyes narrowed.

He wasn't scared. He was royally pissed off. Thank the Astrals he'd just seen Gladio still up so he could rule out the worst case scenario - although the fact that Gladio had been hurt at all was sickening enough.

The movements coming like second nature, Noctis ducked to the side while pivoting on his foot, striking upwards with his forearm into the arm which held the knife, wrapping his hand over the wrist while twisting and hitting his other palm into the man's elbow. The man yelped and Noctis bent his arm into another lock, forcing his grip to open and the knife to fall pathetically to the floor. Then he stepped forwards, hooked his heel around the man's ankle and jerked it off the ground, leaning his whole body weight down and slamming the man's face into the pavement - inches away from the now disarmed blade.

Noctis grabbed the man by his suit, hauling him over so his back was flat on the asphalt, and swiftly picked up the knife to now press the metal subtly against his neck. The blade's bloodied silver glinted deviously up at him and it took a whole lot of Noctis' self control not to push that blade into the man's skin and add to the red staining it.

"Now, you listen to _me,"_ Noctis leaned closer, voice barely a whisper, his body blocking the knife from view as he fisted the man's collar in his other hand. "This is turning into a lot bigger of a scene than any of us want, so why don't you just take your buddies with you and _leave,"_ he turned the knife so the cold flat edge of the blade pressed against the man's skin, "because, you know, we Lucis have a reputation. And I'd hate for you to actually get hurt."

He may have been playing at being a high schooler for the past half a year, but Noctis still had yakuza blood running through him - and he wasn't averse to the ways 'disturbances' were kept in line. He'd had enough experience first hand to know what to do. 

Noctis deftly slipped the knife into the side pocket of his bag, still at his side with its strap crossed over his chest, as he straightened up, eyes still fixed upon the man's startled face.

"There's a reason the Fleurets are our _sub_ clan," Noctis growled under his breath. "Don't you forget it." And he held his hands up in mock surrender, signaling for their conversation to be over.

The thug pushed himself backwards, staggering back up to his feet. He glanced over his shoulder for his boss, seeing Gladio straddling him on the floor, and decided his escape was more important than his loyalty, hurriedly stumbling down the steps to join his companion at the bottom.

Noctis breathed out a sigh, grateful Gladio was too distracted to have noticed his threats, then hoisted himself up to jog over and grab the third year by his arm.

This had gone on long enough and they needed to get out of here before someone called the police.

"Gladio!" 

Where was he injured??

Noctis yanked Gladio away from where he was relentlessly attacking the now cowering man beneath him, heaving him up to give him a quick once over.

The sight which greeted him almost sent Noctis crashing to the floor.

"F- fuck! Gladio, your face!" 

Gladio was breathing hard, fists almost as bloodied as his cheek, the thug wheezing for air through his mouth as his nose was now no doubt broken. His sleeve was no longer the only place splattered red.

"Noct," Gladio smiled, weak and watery yet visibly relieved with his left eye still clenched shut, "you're OK!" 

Noctis forced himself to stand straight, using both hands and hauling Gladio up with him. How the hell did Gladio sound so calm? Fuck. _Fuck._ This was a huge mess. 

"Shit! I'm fine!" Noctis grabbed Gladio by the hand, turning to drag him down the steps and ignoring the exclamations from the crowds around them. He didn't even spare a glance to see what had happened to the barely conscious thug on the floor.

"Look at your fucking face! Dammit, Gladio!" Noctis stumbled forwards, blinking faster to stop the hot tears which were threatening to spill.

He was so damn _angry._ With those bastards for attacking them. With himself. With the world for daring to be this fucked up.

"We're going to the hospital," Noctis squeezed at Gladio's hand tighter as they stood at the roadside, his other arm up in the air waving frantically for a taxi.

"Noct--" 

"Don't talk!" Noctis yanked open the door of the car which pulled up, shoving Gladio inside. "Put your hand on your face! Don't stop the pressure!" 

Noctis could feel himself panicking, but he needed to hold it together long enough to make sure Gladio was safe. 

"Hospital! Please!!" Noctis barked at the driver - before he could ask any questions - then ripped off his bag and jacket, folding the latter into a haphazard square. "Hold this over your cheek," Noctis commanded, thrusting the clothes into Gladio's hands. 

The adrenaline seemed to be wearing off and Gladio silently complied, too exhausted to do otherwise. 

Fucking _Six._ What now? Noctis fretted in the back of the car. He felt like he was forgetting something.

Iggy.

Noctis pulled out his phone, his other hand finding Gladio's again to give it a comforting squeeze - though whether it was more to comfort Gladio or himself, it wasn't entirely clear.

"Iggy, I'm sorry. Listen, you need to come to the hospital; I'm on my way there now with Gladio-- no, I'm fine! Just listen!! Get over here now, OK?! I'll explain what happened in person!" 

Noctis glanced across to where Gladio was slumped with his head back against the seat, bloodstained hand over his face, both eyes closed as his breathing had finally evened out. Noctis exhaled slowly, guilt clawing at his chest.

"...Make sure you bring Iris along with you, too."


	13. I'm Sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I basically played these two songs on repeat while writing/editing this chapter. 😭 Linking for future reference... 
> 
> Taka (ONE OK ROCK) - Hello (Adele cover)  
> https://youtu.be/5GQnC6UUsZw  
> ONE OK ROCK - We Are [Studio Jam Session]  
> https://youtu.be/ujR3BtB9t7Y
> 
> And as usual, thanks for reading through the draft, Tiss. 💕

Fortunately, it turned out the wound on Gladio's face wasn't as bad as it had initially looked.

At least, it wasn't as deep as it could have been, and his eye had been spared any obvious injury. The blade must have been sharp, as the gash was clean rather than ragged… There was just a lot of blood.

A _lot_ of blood.

Still, that did little to calm Noctis' apparent fretting.

After pulling them both up to the front desk in a panic - Noctis with his hand firmly wrapped around Gladio's - they were lucky enough to be taken to a treatment room straightaway, where an A&E nurse attended to Gladio's wounds. Once inside, and the reality of the situation had begun to settle in, Noctis' panic had given way to discomfort. From Gladio's perspective, it seemed as if the younger teen was torn between wanting to stick as close to Gladio's side as possible, as a way of showing his support, and tearing himself as far away as he could, as if he didn't deserve to be there.

Was Noctis blaming himself for the incident?

So Gladio had held the other teen in place, lacing their fingers together and pulling Noctis to sit down on the edge of the bed beside him, making that decision for him.

The nurse had raised her eyebrows with a soft smile, but didn't seem to have any issues with Noctis being there - even as Gladio's wound was cleaned, disinfected and dressed with gauze - and Noctis had stubbornly averted his gaze to frown at his shoes instead of watching her work. She was professional yet friendly, making lighthearted conversation with Gladio rather than questioning where the wound came from, successfully dissipating some of the tension hanging in the room.

Gladio only let Noctis' hand go when the nurse needed to tend to the scrapes on his knuckles.

After a brief glance across at the older teen's knees (he couldn't quite bring himself to look at his face), Noctis had hauled himself off the bed and taken the opportunity to wash his hands at the sink: clean from the dirt, the blood and Gladio's comforting warmth. He dithered slightly while drying his hands with a paper towel - unsure whether to stay where he was or sit back down - but the nurse had finished not long after and Gladio had strode across the room at once, his fingers finding Noctis' once more, and lacing them back together as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Now they were back in the waiting room while the nurse completed Gladio's paperwork and spoke to a doctor, waiting to see what the verdict would be for what happened next.

"Let's sit down," Gladio suggested, squeezing Noctis' hand a little tighter as he led them to a pair of seats in the corner of the waiting room.

The third year removed his bag, resting it on the chair beside them as he sat, but Noctis kept his on with the strap crossed over his chest - giving the impression he was ready to bolt out of there at any minute. The nurse had given them a plastic bag, in which Noctis' bloodied jacket had been stuffed, and Noctis busied himself with zipping it up inside one of his training bag's side compartments. He was a little clumsy, having only one hand free, but Noctis silently persevered rather than make eye contact with the other teen.

Gladio pursed his lips together. He had a pretty high pain threshold anyway, and he'd been given enough painkillers to not actually feel any discomfort anymore - so the only real thing which was bothering him at that moment was how bothered Noctis seemed over the whole situation. More bothered than Gladio was, in fact.

He sighed.

"You don't need to be so on edge," Gladio murmured, using his thumb to stroke the back of Noctis' hand, taking in the way the younger teen was perched on the edge of his seat.

Noctis' eyebrow twitched - a sign he'd gotten the subtle joke, most likely - but he didn't make any move to reply.

"If you're worried about me, I'm fine. I can't even feel anything anymore," Gladio continued, reaching across with his other hand and cupping Noctis' hand between both. "The nurse'll be back any moment, I'll be discharged, then we can head home and forget about it." Gladio swapped the hand he had interlaced with Noctis' and brought the arm between them up and around the younger teen's shoulders, tugging softly so Noctis collapsed sideways to lean his head against Gladio's broad chest.

"Listen," Gladio rumbled quietly, tucking Noctis' head under his chin.

It took a little self restraint for Gladio not to press a kiss to his scalp - even if it could easily have been taken as platonic - settling instead for exhaling slowly as he nestled Noctis a little closer with his jaw.

Noctis had turned his head so his ear was pressed flat against Gladio, listening. He could hear the older teen's heartbeat thumping strongly; it was surprisingly steady. He hated the fact Gladio was trying to soothe him (and doing a damn good job of it) rather than the other way round, but Noctis felt like he didn't have the energy to protest. He didn't know what he should be feeling, actually.

"See?" Gladio hummed, the vibrations going straight into the other teen. "I'm not worried at all. So do me a favour and cheer up, OK?" 

Noctis closed his eyes and whispered in reply, 

"...I'm sorry."

"Noct…" Gladio began, but was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps echoing sharply as they approached.

"Gladdy!! What happened?!" 

"Noct! Big guy!" 

The two broke their embrace, just in time to see Prompto and Iris practically running towards them. Ignis was striding quickly behind, but the worry on his face was no less compared to the other two.

Iris saw the white gauze covering half of her brother's face and burst into tears.

"Hey. Hey, it's OK," Gladio was immediately up to wrap his arms around her, kneeling down and cradling her close. 

Noctis stood up too but stayed rooted to the spot, biting his lip as he watched Gladio comfort Iris. Prompto and Ignis made their way to his side.

"Noct…" Prompto breathed, pulling him close into a hug. "Are you OK? Are you hurt too?!" 

"No," Noctis shook his head. "Gladio kept me safe."

"From what??" Prompto pushed Noctis away again by the shoulders, looking as if he was trying his hardest not to shake an answer out of him.

"...Just some thugs," Noctis frowned. "Listen, I need to get some air. Prom, can you stay with Gladio until the nurse comes back?" 

Prompto definitely looked as if he wanted to ask more questions, but he managed to rock on his heels instead and huff out a deep breath in agreement. "Sure thing, buddy."

"Thanks," Noctis gave the blonde a weak smile. "Iggy, will you keep me company outside?" 

"Of course," Ignis nodded, knowing full well Noctis just wanted to talk privately.

The two teenagers headed out through one of the side doors into a small garden. It was empty, but Noctis led them to the back corner regardless, as much out of sight as possible.

They stood facing each other for a moment: Noctis with his head bowed, holding tight onto the strap of his bag, Ignis pressing his lips together and feeling uncharacteristically nervous - all he knew was that Gladio had injured his face somehow, but how and to what extent was still unclear.

"...Iggy," Noctis eventually spoke, "I screwed up."

The younger teen's voice was so small, Ignis tentatively lifted a hand to touch the top of Noctis' arm, encouraging him to continue.

"They knew I'd be there," Noctis shook his head, still looking down. "They had a photo of me and they knew who I was. They tried to fucking kidnap me."

"...Noct--"

"And I couldn't keep him out of it," Noctis carried on, the tension beginning to fall from his body as the words tumbled from his lips. "I couldn't stop him; I couldn't stop _them._ They attacked us-- no, Gladio attacked them? Then there was a fight and a knife and--" 

"Noct," Ignis repeated, a little firmer. "Slow down. Do you mean--" His fingers tightened slightly around Noctis' muscle as the pieces began to fit together in his mind. "...Did they say which group they were with?" 

"...Fleurets," Noctis breathed, grateful for the interruption. "They wanted to use me to show their loyalty to the Izunias."

Ignis exhaled sharply.

 _"...I_ screwed up," Ignis bowed his head too, taking Noctis' words from before as his own. 

He was ashamed. He hadn't been there. Why hadn't he been there? Ignis had _one_ job - watch over the Young Master - and he'd failed. How on Eos was he meant to make this up to Noctis?

Noctis shifted his weight slightly, unsure of what to say next. Once the higher ups discovered what had happened, yakuza politics aside, Noctis and Ignis were going to be in pretty hot water. His mind whirred through the possible punishments he might face, simply for craving a little freedom and wanting to enjoy himself like any other 16 year old - it wasn't fair. 

"How many were they?" Ignis finally whispered, needing to understand better what they were dealing with.

"Three. Two were pretty badly injured - worse than Gladio was. The third, I sent him off with the message to leave us the fuck alone," Noctis narrowed his eyes at the ground. "I got the weapon, too."

"You did?" Ignis raised his eyebrows, both surprised and impressed despite himself. 

"No point leaving it around and causing unnecessary trouble," Noctis scoffed half-heartedly, finally raising his head again to meet Ignis' gaze. "Can you… dispose of it for me?" 

Ignis frowned now, clearly unsure over what his friend was implying.

"...Dispose. Not 'include in the report' when I return and speak to Clarus?" 

Noctis met Ignis' concerned brow with a resolute frown of his own, even though the worry in his eyes still wavered.

"Dispose. We need it gone _now,_ but… I'm not ready to let Clarus know about what happened yet."

"Noct?" 

"Gladio… I never wanted him to get hurt. I never thought he would, especially not like this - what if he's scarred for life? And it's all my fault for being by his side--" 

"It's not your fault," Ignis cut in. "Were I there to protect you, I could have protected you both. You know I'd never lose in a battle of blades, but to not even be present for said battle in the first place…"

"Exactly!" Noctis hissed, exasperated, pulling a hurt look from Ignis' eyes.

"Shit, I didn't mean it like that."

Noctis hurriedly shook his head to correct himself. 

"I mean you weren't there - because _I_ told you not to be - and we're gonna be in such deep shit because of it! What if I'm not allowed out of the Manor anymore? I can't, I'm not ready."

Ignis closed his eyes and leant his head back to face the sky, exhaling slowly through his nose.

"...Iggy," Noctis brought up his hand to cover the one Ignis still had on his arm. "I know it's selfish, but please. I'll take all the responsibility, you don't need to worry about yourself, but… I can't get locked up yet. I need to make sure Gladio's OK first… And as soon as I know he is, I promise, I'll talk to Clarus myself."

"If members of a subclan are plotting insubordination, it's not a matter we can keep to ourselves…" Ignis whispered, slowly blinking his eyes open again and taking in the sunset above.

"I know. And we won't. I just… A little more time, Iggy. Please," Noctis squeezed the other teen's hand as tightly as he dared. 

"As for where they obtained their information… A mole?" 

"I'll deal with it, I promise."

"If it's an order, then I won't refuse, Young Master," Ignis sighed. "As I've said before: my loyalty lies with you first and foremost, without any expectations to have my actions covered for… Yet I still have the responsibility to remind you of what's best for the clan as a whole."

Noctis bit the edge of his lip, "Iggy…"

"Those are my feelings as a subordinate to the Young Master," Ignis frowned. "But as a friend… I just wish for you to be happy, Noct."

Noctis' shoulders relaxed as the shadow of a smile crept into the corners of his mouth.

"I'll try to give you as much time as you need," Ignis nodded, reaching up to grasp Noctis' other arm, too. "Where is the knife?" 

\----------

Upon returning to the waiting room, Noctis and Ignis were greeted by the sight of Gladio pacing - clearly cross about something - and Iris tugging on his arm in an attempt to get him to stop. Prompto noticed the two enter almost immediately and went bounding over to them, stopping them in their tracks a short distance away.

"What happened?" Noctis asked, glancing over at Gladio - who was now scowling up at Iris from where she'd shoved him back into his seat.

"Er… yeah," Prompto hummed. "Turns out they want to keep the big guy overnight - something about the optical specialist not on shift until the morning and it'd be simpler if he could just stay until then… They can change his dressings and stuff for him, too… But Gladio's not keen."

"He shouldn't have a choice if that's what the docs are saying," Noctis huffed, preparing himself to march over and knock some sense into the idiot. His anger over Gladio's reluctance to look after himself properly, especially with his current condition, won over Noctis' clawing guilt and worries right at that moment.

Iris spun sharply on her heels with a stomp, folding her arms as she turned her back on her brother. Then she noticed the other teenagers had returned.

"Noctis!" 

She ran over, grabbing Noctis by the arm and dragging him back to her brother. 

"Tell Gladdy to stop being so stubborn and to stay here the night! He'll listen to you!" 

"No, I won't," Gladio glared at Iris, without a second glance at anyone else. "I'm not leaving you alone in the apartment overnight. It's not safe."

"I'll be fine!" Iris argued. "Mr. Jared is just next door and--" 

"You're not sleeping there alone," Gladio ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "They can't force me to stay; I'm sure my eye's fine - the pain isn't even that bad anymore and if I'm having trouble seeing in the morning, then I'll come straight back in--" 

"So if Iris isn't alone, then it's OK?" Noctis interrupted, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

"...There's not really anyone we can ask, Noct," Gladio looked across at him, slightly surprised at the sharpness in his voice. "I'm not gonna disturb Jared for something like this - he's got his own grandkid to worry about without us--" 

"What about _us?"_ Noctis put his hands on his hips, turning his head to give Ignis a pointed look.

Ignis hesitated - Noctis had just been attacked and now he was making crazy plans like this again already? - but Prompto caught the other first year's hint and eagerly put up his hand, just as if answering a question at school. 

"You don't even need to ask, big guy! You can trust us to watch Iris, no worries!" 

"Our place isn't all that big for all three of ya--" 

"Then just Iggy and Prom is good, right?" Noctis tilted his head in Gladio's direction, still frowning. "I've... got my curfew anyway." 

"See, I'll be fine! Your friends can look after me at home and you can get looked after here," Iris nodded enthusiastically at her brother. "That way no-one needs to be worried tonight, me _or_ you! Please, Gladdy?"

Gladio sighed, feeling ganged up on.

"If you two don't mind sharing a pull out couch, then I guess…"

"We'll be fine!" Prompto moved to wrap Ignis in a hug from the side. "I'd only be too happy to sleep with Iggy!" 

"Don't go broadcasting that for the whole world to hear now," Gladio couldn't help smirking, earning him a playful slap to the upper arm from Iris.

It seemed as if Ignis couldn't refuse now, considering the way the conversation was going, but he didn't want to make any more mistakes… Maybe Ignis could see Noctis home first, before joining Prompto and Iris later. Surely Noctis would be safe at home - there must have been a reason for the attempted kidnapping to have happened outside; whoever the mole was, they had no power to act while at the manor.

"Leave it in our hands, Gladio," Ignis nodded - briefly glancing across to Noctis for reassurance - while making no effort to fight against where Prompto was still plastered to his side. "We'll collect our things from home and bring back anything you require, while Iris stays with you, then Prompto and I can escort her back to your apartment. Noct, you'd best return home with us now to ensure you don't miss your curfew."

"Right," Noctis nodded, understanding Ignis' need to see him back to the manor that day. 

The nurse returned just then, apologising that they had no beds left on the ward, so Gladio would have to use a private room if he didn't mind - at no extra charge, of course.

Prompto grinned, "See! It's a sign! You'd be crazy not to stay when you're getting a free upgrade!" 

Gladio just rolled his one free eye as he stood, ready to follow the nurse with the rest of them. The lingering look Noctis shot in the third year's direction didn't go unnoticed by Prompto, though.

"Oh hey, Iggy. Why don't we go grab some refreshments real quick? Should be a vending machine or something somewhere round here… Iris, you come with us and let us know what your brother likes!" Prompto finally released Ignis from his embrace, grabbing Noctis by the arms instead and shoving him towards Gladio. "Noct, you can make sure the big guy gets to his room OK, right?"

Noctis blinked a little dumbly, twisting to frown at the other freshman, but Prompto just winked in reply.

Even in situations like these, Noctis could count on Prompto to have his love life's best interests in mind. Talk about the ultimate wingman - it was enough to make Noctis' heart ache.

\----------

After making sure the others knew where they were headed, the nurse showed Gladio and Noctis to the room, up on the 8th floor.

Windows spanning the length of the end wall, a single chair beside a single bed, a small set of drawers doubling up as a bedside table and a door to what must be the toilet; the room itself was compact but comfortable.

Once they were alone again, Gladio meandered over to the bed and plopped himself down on the edge, facing the windows. Noctis had wandered across to look outside: the sun had completely set now and the view over the city - twinkling lights amongst concrete grey and an inky blue sky - was beautiful.

Gladio thought Noctis’ profile, pensive and concerned, was beautiful, too.

"...Why don't you join me here while we wait for the others?" Gladio patted the mattress, indicating for Noctis to sit beside him. They'd been interrupted before and he felt like they still needed to clear the air. Noctis was putting on a brave face, but his anxieties couldn't have been dispelled that easily.

"Gladio," Noctis began, turning towards him. "I'm sorry."

He knew it.

"You didn't do anything to apologise for," the older teen shrugged, deciding to go for the nonchalant approach. Then he patted the bed again, holding his other hand out in invitation.

"I did-- I was-- If I wasn't there--" Noctis took a few tentative steps closer as he spoke. "It's because of me that they approached us, that they said all that stuff and--" He pulled a face halfway between a pout and a glare, coming to a stop just in front of the bed. "It's my fault you got hurt, my fault your face is--" 

"Noct," Gladio grabbed the other teen by the wrist and yanked him forwards by the waist - anything to make him stop rambling. One of Noctis' knees bumped against the mattress in between Gladio's legs, while his other knee tripped up onto the bed, and Noctis put his hand out onto Gladio's shoulder for balance as he gasped in surprise at the sudden action.

"Wha--?"

"Shut up."

Gladio's voice was low enough to make Noctis freeze. 

"I said it's not your fault, Noct, so just shut up. OK?" 

Noctis swallowed. Gladio's hands were firm against his body, willing him to relax, and against his better judgement, Noctis did.

He twisted his knee on the mattress so he could sit beside Gladio on the bed, tucking up his leg between them, his other leg coming up to rest on the older teen's lap. Gladio kept his hand on Noctis' waist and pulled him closer, so Noctis' head bumped against Gladio's shoulder, face turned towards the crook of his neck.

"...Don't you dare blame yourself, OK?" Gladio murmured, once they'd settled themselves more comfortably. He'd intended on playing it nonchalant, but on second thought, no - forget everything else, holding Noctis close was best, after all.

Noctis hummed, not trusting his voice to come out clearly were he to answer properly. It was almost embarrassing how easily Gladio made him feel like he was about to melt - from prickly and tense one moment, to soft and sluggish the next.

"They're the bastards who made the mistake, thinking you're someone you're not. You didn't do anything wrong, Noct."

Gladio shifted to look at Noctis directly, their faces so close their noses almost touched. They could both feel the other's soft breath against their lips - gentle and warm and heady - as Gladio's one free eye searched the younger teen's for a sign he understood: that Noctis was OK. They held each other's gaze for a short moment, which felt like it stretched out for much longer, before a flicker of pain flashed through Noctis' eyes and he frowned and looked away. 

"...What if I _did_ do something wrong, though? Noctis choked out, going against all the warnings blaring in his head. "What if I _was_ who they said I was? Could I blame myself then?"

"No, because I still wouldn't," Gladio growled, taking the questions as hypothetical. "You didn't make me fight; I chose to do that myself. I'm never gonna blame you when I'm the one responsible for my own actions."

"Even if--"

"Even if you were a damn yakuza boss, I'd still never blame you cos--" Gladio blurted out - then cut himself short as he pressed their foreheads together, "...cos you're my friend."

 _Because I love you_.

Now was hardly appropriate to say such feelings out loud for the first time.

"Besides, you're not, so don't even go there," Gladio continued instead, pulling Noctis' waist a little closer as he closed his eyes. "Cos if you were, I know you would've told me a long time ago. I've already told you all my secrets, haven't I."

 _Aside from the fact I love you_. 

"...I'm sorry," Noctis finally breathed, after another short silence. If only what Gladio was saying was true.

"What can I do so you won't be?"

With their foreheads still touching and now their noses brushing together too, Noctis felt like his heart was about to drum itself right out of his chest. What did he want Gladio to do? Noctis wanted to get closer, to bury himself against the other teen's body, completely enveloped in his warmth, in his scent. He wanted to tear himself away, so Gladio wouldn't be hurt anymore. Noctis wanted Gladio to hold him tighter. He wanted to hear Gladio say he wouldn't mind if they never saw each other again. 

He wanted Gladio to kiss him. 

Noctis pulled himself away, gently releasing the older teen's hold on him, dragging himself up from his lap and back to standing once more. He twisted the wrist Gladio still had a loose grip around so their hands could find each other to hold onto properly.

"Let me cover your hospital fees."

"...What--"

"If you want me to forgive myself, let me pay for your hospital fees," Noctis clarified with a frown.

Gladio's brow furrowed, a deep growl rumbling up from his chest.

"If you don't, then… that'll be the same as saying you want me feeling guilty."

"That's not fair, Noct."

"Life isn't fair, is it," Noctis muttered, his gaze drawn to the white gauze over Gladio's eye.

Squeezing a little tighter, Gladio brought their hands up to his chin with a sigh. Noctis was stubborn, he knew that. He played out the scenario in his mind: he'd protest, Noctis would argue, they'd both get more worked up… Or he could just give in now and make it up to Noctis some other way instead. Still, he didn't like the idea of Noctis paying.

"Fine," Gladio huffed. "Let me ask you one favour too, then - no arguments. I don't wanna get the police involved, so don't go making any calls on my behalf, OK?" 

"...Sure," Noctis nodded. That worked out well for him, after all. "Is that because…?"

"They straight out told us they belonged to some yakuza group. I don't wanna get any more involved if I can help it."

"Yeah… I understand."

Noctis understood all over again how much Gladio wanted nothing to do with mafia groups, his own Lucis clan or otherwise. But despite knowing that, a part of him was still burning to just come out with the truth right now: that those thugs weren't wrong, that Noctis really was part of that world, that Gladio wasn't wrong to think Noctis wouldn't hide anything from him.

He let go of Gladio's hand and swallowed, trying to steady himself.

"Gladio, I… I really meant it earlier when--" 

There was a knock at the door, stopping Noctis mid-sentence. Ifrit's sake, why did this keep happening?

The door opened and Prompto peeked his head round the edge.

"Only us! Hope we're not disturbing!" he stepped inside with a wave, Iris and Ignis following just behind.

Prompto Argentum, living oxymoron: wingman extraordinaire, master of interruptions.

"No, it's fine," Noctis shook his head, throwing an apologetic glance in Gladio's direction. "I was just saying how… I'm sorry Gladio got hurt, but… Thanks. I just realised I hadn't thanked you yet," Noctis finished with a small smile.

"Don't even mention it," Gladio grinned, not realising those weren't the words Noctis originally wanted to say. "Nothing worth thanking for."

"You're such a show off," Iris giggled, glad to see her brother smiling again, bopping across to join him on the bed and hand him a bottle of juice.

"Well then," Ignis smiled fondly at the sight of the two siblings together. "Shall we be off? Prompto and I will be back soon with some overnight things for you and to collect Iris."

"Thanks, guys," Gladio nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Noctis leant back down to give Gladio a brief hug.

Maybe it was a good thing he'd been interrupted after all. The day had been so messed up, Noctis wasn't sure what the right thing to do was anymore: to come clean with Gladio or to make a clean break from him? 

Either way, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy.


	14. There's Seriously Nothing to Worry About?

Noctis dreamt of Gladio that night.

He'd half expected it, to be honest - his dreams recently had been doing a pretty good job of reflecting the issues in his life - but that didn't make experiencing that night's dream any less bittersweet. 

He'd dreamt of that moment outside the stadium, confronted by those thugs - except this time, Ignis was there beside the Young Master as he should have been. The fight had played out very differently as a result: Ignis had subdued the leader with ease while Noctis and Gladio took out each of the cronies in perfect sync, all three teenagers coming away without a scratch. There had been no spectators. Somehow, Noctis had even ended up confessing his mafia links and Gladio had laughed, taking it all in stride.

"That… actually makes a lot of sense," Gladio nodded, ruffling Noctis' hair with his usual affection.

"You're not mad at me?" Noctis asked slowly, full of disbelief. "Or want to keep your distance? Never see me again?" 

"Don't be an idiot," Gladio pulled Noctis into a hug. "If anything, I'm just upset you didn't tell me sooner."

Noctis blushed, nuzzling his face a little deeper against the other teen's chest in order to hide a growing smile.

"Nothing you could say or do would ever make me leave you, Noct," Gladio murmured, then pressed a soft kiss to the crown of the first year's scalp.

"Then… come back?" Noctis breathed, enjoying the warmth wash over his whole body from the touch of Gladio's lips. "To the Manor? Clarus - your dad - I'm sure he misses you, too; all the stuff you told me was just a huge misunderstanding, I know it. Then you could be by my side properly, as a member of our family." Noctis spoke calmly, despite the way his heart fluttered at what he was suggesting. "It all makes so much sense."

Gladio squeezed Noctis a little tighter, his jaw still resting upon the top of the younger teen's head.

"...Yeah, it does, doesn't it."

It had all gone so perfectly.

\----------

Noctis awoke to the sound of his phone beeping: an incoming message alert. He groggily rubbed his eyes, then opened up the notification. 

A photo of Ignis, Prompto and Iris greeted him. Iris was on her knees in her seat, face gleaming with delight, while Ignis placed a large plate of pancakes in the centre of the table and Prompto pulled the cheesiest grin from the front of frame, obviously the one taking the selfie.

_**Prompto:** breakfast is served! thanks Mama Iggy! <3_

Noctis smiled at the accompanying caption, even as his chest lurched in disappointment from reality catching up with him: Gladio was in hospital and Noctis' background was still very much a secret.

How he wished his dream had been real.

Noctis checked the time. It was only 9am - just like Ignis to be up early, as if the fact it was Sunday didn't even matter. They'd planned to meet Gladio sometime late morning anyway, so Noctis dismissed his alarm set for an hour's time and decided to just get up now instead.

He sent two texts, the first directly to Ignis:

_**Noctis:** hey come pick me up at 9:45. tell the others you forgot sth at home if you need an excuse_

And the second as a reply to the group:

_**Noctis:** I bet it tastes as good as it looks. I'll see you guys at the station in an hour? _

_**Prompto:** woah, didn't think you'd be up! :P_

_**Noctis:** :) _

It was easy to send a simple smiling emoji in response, but Noctis' face was completely blank as he typed. If anything, he felt more sad than happy. 

He was worried about Gladio.

Maybe Noctis should have been more worried about the fact he himself had been attacked, but any thoughts of his own safety were drowned out by the ones of Gladio's involvement and injury. 

Noctis spent the morning mulling over his situation, getting himself washed and dressed in somewhat of a daze.

Why had he begged to join high school in the first place? Because he wanted to try living a normal life, have some fun, kick back and forget it all… And he had. Like an idiot, he'd forgotten the reason he hadn't been allowed to freely leave the Manor all those years prior.

And it turned out his father wasn't just paranoid, and Ignis really should have been by Noctis' side a lot more than he had been. They'd become complacent, swept up in their fake lives.

So what next? Noctis struggled to come up with an answer. He'd been ignoring feelings of guilt for weeks already, over his whole double life, and he'd very nearly spilled everything to Gladio just the evening before. Now, more than ever, Noctis felt like Gladio had the right to know the truth: Gladio had spent his childhood at the Manor anyway, his father was Noctis' father's right-hand man, he'd even been injured on Noctis' behalf… It almost felt silly not to say anything at this point.

But then, listening to their fathers' rules of having Ignis as a permanent guard at Noctis' side had also felt silly, and look at how ignoring that had gone. The other rule, to keep Noctis' identity a secret - was it really wise to ignore that, too? 

For something which felt like it should have been a lot simpler, the dilemma left Noctis feeling like a huge mess: like his insides had been taken out, tossed around in a blender, then stuffed back inside in all the wrong places. He felt sluggish and nervous and overall sad all at the same time. It was odd and he didn't like it. He felt like he was being smothered under a giant garbage heap.

Noctis' phone beeped and he picked it up to see messages waiting from two chats; he must have missed the ones from before, too engrossed in his thoughts. 

_**Gladio:** Way to make me jealous, guys. Iggy’s cooking is BOSS. Make sure Iris gets seconds._

_**Prompto:** lol big guy, she didn't need you to tell us! _

_how're you feeling? <3_

_**Gladio:** LOL. Nothing to worry about._

_**Prompto:** tough guy as always! we'll see you soon :D_

The other message was a simple confirmation from Ignis and that he'd be at the Manor at the specified time.

Noctis sighed, deciding to wait for Ignis in the garden. He could do with clearing his head a little.

One of the maids, surprised to see him up so early on a Sunday, stopped him in the corridor to ask whether he wanted his breakfast in the dining room or bedroom and to apologise for not having something made already. Noctis shook his head with a weak smile in reply, telling her he'd grab something from outside with Ignis. She hadn't argued (of course not), curtseying neatly before leaving, and Noctis continued on his way to his favourite spot by the koi pond.

When Ignis arrived ten minutes later, he assumed Noctis had eaten breakfast already.

"Yeah, let's just get to the station," Noctis nodded. "Don't wanna keep anyone waiting."

Noctis wondered if his stomach might rumble and give his lie away, but strangely enough he found that he didn't even feel hungry - like the worries filling his mind had more than filled his stomach, too.

\----------

"How was Iris?" Gladio asked as the others arrived, pulling his sister into a loose hug and messing up her hair.

"Fine! No trouble at all!" Prompto enthused with a grin, bouncing across to the window. "In fact, we had an awesome time!" 

"I didn't know Ignis was such a good cook," Iris smiled dreamily, gently shoving Gladio away as she smoothed away the frizz from her head. "He made this amazing dinner, with enough for us to have as leftovers today, then this morning he made pancakes for breakfast! They were so _fluffy,_ Gladdy!" 

Gladio laughed, "Yeah, I saw. Thanks for rubbing it in."

Iris playfully stuck out her tongue in reply.

"And you guys slept OK?" Gladio gestured towards where the two blondes now were: Prompto perched on the window sill and Ignis leaning against the glass.

"Comfiest couch I've ever slept on," Prompto nodded with a thumbs up.

"I'm surprised you could tell, considering you spent most of the night on top of _me_ rather than the couch," Ignis murmured under his breath, just loud enough for Prompto alone to hear.

"So yeah!" Prompto continued, trying to ignore the comment and the blush threatening to stain his cheeks. "Don't worry about it, big guy! We were more than happy to help!" 

"Well, you all seem happy enough," Gladio grinned, leaving Iris sitting on the bed as he made his way towards where Noctis was quietly standing by the door. "Except this guy," Gladio used his thumbs to lift Noctis' cheeks up into a forced smile. "Didn't think you'd be that upset over not being part of their sleepover."

Noctis frowned - which looked odd since Gladio still had his thumbs on Noctis' face - then shook Gladio off with a sigh. "How're you feeling? There's seriously nothing to worry about?" 

Obviously, Noctis wasn't upset about not being able to stay at Gladio's apartment - and he knew Gladio knew that, and that the older teen was trying to make light of the situation for Noctis' sake - but seeing Gladio in person again just wrenched all his worries and guilt to the surface, making him feel small and exposed. He didn't have it in him to joke around right now.

"I'm fine," Gladio smiled softly, getting the hint and dropping his thumbs to gently brush the fringe from Noctis' eyes instead. "Just waiting to be seen by that specialist and we can get outta here."

There was a knock at the door and the two teenagers moved back to let the nurse in.

What happened next went without incident: Gladio was seen and, thankfully, his vision was confirmed to be fine. He was told it would be unsurprising for his face to scar, considering the depth of the cut, but at least the only repercussions were cosmetic. After an explanation on how to look after the wound and a trip to the front desk to complete the paperwork and settle the bill (Noctis hadn't forgotten Gladio's agreement, much to the older teen's disappointment), their group of five were finally free to go.

Upon leaving the hospital, none of them felt quite ready to part ways just yet, so they decided to swing by a BBQ joint for lunch. Ignis said the protein would do well for helping Gladio heal and, of course, Gladio was never going to decline the prospect of grilled meat (besides, it was only fair he'd be treated to make up for the pancakes he'd missed).

They caught the subway to a place Prompto had heard recommended by his clubmates. Gladio sat in the centre of a row of seats, Iris bubbly chatting to Prompto and Ignis on Gladio's left and Noctis sitting subdued on his right.

Noctis was still quieter than usual, but hearing the positive results and having Gladio in high spirits was helping to lift his mood a little, too. Guilt from his secret still clawed incessantly at Noctis' chest, but he knew there was no chance he could deal with it at that moment so there was no use dwelling on it for now; the important thing was that Gladio was fine. It was one less worry, at least. 

"Hey," Gladio bumped their arms together, leaning down to murmur in Noctis' ear. "You're not gonna pull that face forever, are ya?" 

Noctis pursed his lips, "What face?" 

Gladio touched the tip of his finger gently in between Noctis' eyebrows, making the younger teen furrow them slightly more.

"This frown," Gladio teased. "I wanna see you smile more."

Noctis brushed the other teen's hand away and gave him his best fake smile - a cheesy grin, perfect for school photos. Gladio laughed and shook his head.

"Hey, I've only got one eye at the moment, lemme make the most of it by seeing something good, at least!" 

Noctis balked, the fake smile dropping from his face, and Gladio chuckled again, lifting an arm to wrap around Noctis' shoulders. 

"What? Too soon to joke about it?" 

Gladio squeezed Noctis lightly as he asked and Noctis felt some of his tension squeeze out of him at the action. He smiled - for real this time - and Gladio smiled back, satisfied.

The meal was full of jokes and laughter, using humour as a way of softening any blow they might receive at school the next day. Almost back to his usual self again, Noctis joined in with the conversation - much to everyone's relief. He was convinced they'd be handed detentions for fighting, but maybe Gladio's wound would garner them enough sympathy to get away with only a day or two rather than, say, a week. 

Gladio laughed that Noctis was an optimistic first year brat, but at least they'd likely spend their punishment together, which wouldn't be so bad.

"If I think you're getting off too lightly, I can add to your torture," Gladio grinned. "Subtly kick at the back of your chair, or something." 

"...That's surprisingly childish," Noctis scoffed from his seat opposite, gently knocking his toes against Gladio's boot. The other teen smirked, returning the soft tap and leaving their ankles tangled together, out of sight under the table.

"What'd you prefer? Drop some ice down your back?" Gladio lifted his drink to take a sip, purposefully clinking the ice cubes inside against the glass for emphasis. 

Noctis rolled his eyes with a smile and Prompto cut in, "Ooh, you could bring in some ice packs, say they're for your cheek!" which earned him a playful shove from Noctis.

"Whose side are you on, anyway?!"

The jumbled mess inside felt a little less like a whole rubbish heap and more like just a trashed bedroom: still a stinking mess, but manageable at least. Nothing had been solved yet, but Noctis was beginning to feel that it wouldn't take much until it would be. He just needed a little more time. And the more time he spent in Gladio's company, the clearer that solution felt like it'd be.

\----------

Once home, and after seeing how well Gladio seemed upon discharge, Ignis had hinted at the need for he and Noctis to come forward with their report of the incident. His sense of responsibility was difficult to ignore, but Noctis was still reluctant.

"Sorry, Iggy. I know I shouldn't delay it, and Gladio seems fine, but… Just until his dressing comes off? It's only a few more days, right? I… need to see his whole face one more time."

Ignis pressed his lips together, wanting to comment, _"You're making it sound as if you'll never see him again,"_ but held himself back since he could already predict the retort: _"You never know; maybe I never will."_

Instead, Ignis just nodded sympathetically. 

"Of course, Noct. Whatever I can do to prolong your happiness. I'm sorry if my words make it seem as if my intentions are opposite… "

"No, it's OK," Noctis reassured. "I know you're just being the mature one here - and I appreciate you for it."

But all too soon the next day, everything came crashing back down again out of their control.

First thing on Monday morning, Gladio and Noctis were called to the Principal's office.

Their fight had drawn a crowd, after all, and many had been fellow students who had come to watch the tournament. Rumours aside, the news had travelled quickly back to the school board - along with a semi-blurred video from somebody's phone - and a meeting to discuss the incident was hurriedly thrown together before the weekend was up.

The evidence was clear, from witness reports and the video. Although the three men were undoubtedly suspicious, all they had done was talk to the two teenagers. Gladio was the first to attack, kicking one of them at full power down a tall flight of stone stairs, continuing to fight another seemingly without mercy, to the extent they'd both been covered in blood - all until Noctis had appeared on screen to drag him away. As for the freshman, what was caught on camera showed him simply acting in self-defence: putting one of the men in an arm lock to restrain him, then being threatened at knife point and standing up without any resistance.

The scenes in between were missing, but it was enough for the board to come to the following decision: Noctis was clear from punishment, as his actions were still respectable in the eyes of the school, but Gladio was to face a month's suspension. The school needed to do something to show that displays of violence from its pupils - whether on school grounds or not - would not be tolerated in any way.

The two teenagers left the office slightly in shock - Noctis with instructions to head back to class and Gladio with instructions to go home. The senior would be sent a letter outlining the details of his suspension within the next couple of days.

Nyx had been called into the meeting with them, and once the door was safely shut he placed a sympathetic hand on Gladio's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry, Gladio," their coach shook his head, clearly upset, "but one month's suspension was the best I could do. Pardon the phrase, but many members of the board were out for blood: they wanted you expelled for 'daring tarnish the school's reputation', that you 'should've known better, a martial arts prodigy', you 'should've had more self-control' and…" Nyx sighed. "It was difficult to argue against all that, you know?"

Gladio nodded dumbly, his tongue feeling heavy in his mouth. He didn't regret his actions, and he was sure he would do the same thing all over again if he ever had to, but to be suspended… It would do nothing to help his chances at those university scholarships. His record was no longer clean and rumours could be damning things. 

"It's not right," Noctis choked out, fists balled at his side. "Gladio was _protecting_ me, it wasn't just some mindless fight! He shouldn't be punished for doing a good thing! And can't they see the giant fucking _cut_ down his face?! We could've been killed for all they know, but all they care about is their fucking reputation?! Bullshit!"

Nyx exhaled, stifling a laugh despite himself, as Gladio looked across in shock at Noctis' unexpected outburst.

"OK, Noct, I'm gonna ignore your language for now 'cause I know you're upset," Nyx folded his arms as Noctis felt his cheeks flush, "but… Well, that's just how elite schools are - especially one like ours where our karate club is everything. Like I said, I had to fight hard not to get Gladio expelled. One month's suspension is a lot better in comparison."

"...It's not fair," Noctis clenched his jaw, not sure what else to say.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Nyx's expression softened. "But the important thing is you're both OK, right?" 

Noctis pouted and scowled at the floor. Yeah, he was OK, thanks to Gladio - the guy who'd been both injured and suspended - while Noctis, the cause of it all, got away scot-free. He felt like he wanted to puke.

"Listen," their coach smiled encouragingly. "This whole thing'll blow over soon and everyone'll forget about it - that's also how schools are; people can't wait for the next bit of gossip to come round."

Nyx noticed Gladio was deep in thought, so he moved to pat him roughly on the back. 

"It'll be OK, Gladio. I'll let you know straightaway by text if you get any scholarship offers, even if you're not back at school yet."

"...You think I've still got a chance?" Gladio forced himself to speak, voice barely above a whisper. 

"Life is full of chances," Nyx grinned. "You never know when the next one'll come! Now come on, we'd better get moving before we all get into any more trouble."

Noctis headed back to the classroom in a daze, more shaken by Gladio's reaction than the suspension itself. They'd already taken some form of punishment as given, but Noctis had completely forgotten about what the repercussions might be for Gladio: someone aiming to secure a university scholarship based on his reputation as a karate champion. The fact that Noctis seemed to have gotten away with it all without any consequences was just rubbing salt into the wound.

Why was life so damn unfair?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't forgotten about this thing! The rest is almost done, so hoping to keep the updates regular from now on. 🙈
> 
> Thanks as always to Tiss for your support! 💪🏼


	15. This Wasn't Meant to Happen

Noctis somehow made it back to the classroom and through the morning lessons, though he didn't remember how or what was covered. His notebooks remained blank and he didn't even notice Prompto's impatient fidgeting in the seat in front, despite the blonde being called out by the teacher at least twice because of it.

Noctis' head was a mess. He felt even worse than he had the day before, which he hadn't thought could be possible. What the hell was he doing? He recalled Ignis' advice from the start of Summer: everyone had the right to be selfish, but getting others involved in something against their will could be considered a level of selfishness too far. What was the reason for Noctis being at school in the first place? What were his selfish choices doing to Gladio? Would telling the truth fix anything or just make things worse?

"Noct!" Prompto was out of his seat and beside the other first year before the lunch bell had even finished ringing. "What happened with the Principal? Was the punishment worse than you thought? You look so out of it, man!" 

Noctis blinked slowly in the face of Prompto's concerned verbal cascade. Right. No-one else knew yet.

"...Let's go see Iggy," Noctis heard himself speak, though the words sounded distant to his ears.

Prompto hesitated, clearly worried enough to not want to wait, but he recognised Noctis' slipping mood from the weekend. It was probably best not to argue.

"...Yeah. I guess you don't wanna have to explain things twice, huh?" 

Tucked away in a corner at the top of the stairs leading to the roof (it was becoming too cold to eat outdoors now), the three teenagers leant against the wall as Ignis set up the lunchboxes. It took a few minutes before Noctis was able to articulate what he needed to, but the other two waited patiently until he was ready.

Prompto was visibly shocked when he heard the news of Gladio's suspension, immediately interjecting with complaints of how unfair it was. Ignis was quiet, paying more attention to the blank expression on Noctis' face rather than the words themselves - it didn't take long for him to understand the gist of the situation, but the younger teen's subdued mood was an entirely different concern altogether.

"We should drop by the big guy's place after school," Prompto nodded resolutely, stuffing an egg roll into his mouth and chewing it with far more force than was necessary. "Give him some moral support."

Noctis' silence prompted Ignis to answer on his behalf.

"Perhaps we should message him first? He may prefer some space to come to terms with things."

Prompto pouted, then immediately moved to dig his phone out from his bag. Surprisingly, Noctis leant across and grabbed Prompto's arm, stopping him.

"...I think Iggy’s right - let's give him some space," Noctis looked at Prompto's wrist as he spoke. "Don't text and make him feel awkward in case he wants to turn us down."

Prompto seemed unconvinced that not visiting was the right thing to do, but he wasn't confident enough in his gut to go against both Ignis and Noctis when the two shared the same opinion.

"All right," Prompto sighed, much to the other first year's relief. "We'll try some other day then. But I'm still gonna text so he knows we're here for him."

"Yeah," Noctis dropped Prompto's arm. "...Course."

\----------

Noctis decided not to take part in club activities that afternoon. 

When Noctis had told Ignis of his intentions, he had half expected the other to protest - attending the karate club was still one of the stipulations for being allowed to attend high school, after all - but thankfully, Ignis didn't comment. Instead, he escorted Noctis to the arcade (killing the time usually spent at practice) and then home, without a word of complaint.

Ignis didn't even bring up the need to make their report to Clarus on the weekend's incident again. Noctis almost thought he might, because the agreement had just been to delay until Gladio's dressing came off, but now Noctis wasn't sure when the next time he would see the senior might be. He knew they couldn't wait a whole month to come forwards, but honestly, it didn't feel that pressing in comparison to his issue with Gladio: the idea of a mole and a subclan's insubordination felt like a distant hypothetical compared to the very real dilemma Noctis could see right in front of him.

Noctis hadn't only scarred Gladio's face, he'd also stolen the third year's chances at the future he wanted. Were Gladio to know the truth, how would he react? On top of all that, there was Gladio's blatant dislike for the yakuza - coupled with the fact that Noctis had kept his background hidden, despite Gladio's numerous confessions and chances not to… It would be a miracle if Gladio didn't hate Noctis completely once he found out.

Noctis didn't know if he could cope with that hate. He'd never fallen in love before - he was only 16 and admittedly naive - but he wouldn't be surprised if his feelings for Gladio now were something close to it. This feeling of limbo, though uneasy, was a lot easier to deal with than a definitive heartbreak.

Still… There was a small glimmer flickering teasingly at the back of Noctis' mind, like a struck match within a breeze, threatening to disappear if Noctis didn't catch it quickly enough.

What was it that Gladio had promised him in the hospital that evening? That even if Noctis was a 'damn yakuza boss', he would never blame Noctis for anything that had happened? And the Gladio in his dreams had echoed the sentiment: Gladio had told him he would never leave Noctis' side, no matter what Noctis said or did.

It was far-fetched, but it was still there; maybe there was the chance everything could work out OK. Could Noctis dare to believe in that possibility?

\----------

The rest of the week passed with Noctis continuing to struggle internally. He forced himself to go to school, even though his heart wasn't in it, only because he thought it would be an insult to Gladio not to - but Noctis couldn't bring himself to attend the karate club again just yet. Being there would just bring the weight of Gladio's absence down even heavier upon him: the thought was suffocating enough without Noctis actually experiencing it, too.

Prompto was worried, but even he with his sunny disposition couldn't wrench Noctis away from his spiraling thoughts. Prompto didn't understand why Noctis obviously felt so guilty over everything and that just spurred on his desire to help even more.

"Noct, I'm here for you. Anything at all," Prompto reassured, before he headed to the archery hall one afternoon. "I might not be able to do much, but at least I can listen. And, you know? People say that a problem shared is a problem halved." He shook the other freshman affectionately by the shoulder. "Don't think you gotta deal with anything alone, OK?"

Noctis gave him a weak smile in return, knowing Prompto's intentions to be good, but to drag a whole other outsider into his mess didn't feel like the best idea. Was there any reason to confess anything to Prompto, apart from the fact he was a good guy who didn't deserve to be lied to?

Noctis thought about all the support Prompto had given him thus far - the ultimate wingman, shameless yet effective in his actions - and found himself wondering if having Prompto on side would be all that bad, after all. Then he shook his head free from those thoughts, because surely things could never work out that perfectly with both Gladio _and_ Prompto reacting well to his and Ignis' background - Noctis felt like he was pushing his luck enough as it was hoping for a positive outcome with just Gladio.

Telling Prompto would be nice, but maybe it was something best left to Noctis' dreams instead.

\----------

Crouching in his usual spot at the end of the garden, Noctis was disappointed to find not even watching the koi seemed to help unswirl the tangled thoughts in his mind.

He focused his attention on what he could do to fix the messes he'd made. If Gladio really had lost his scholarship chances, was there anything Noctis could offer him to make up for that? He had the niggling feeling he was focusing on the wrong thing, that maybe the scholarship wasn't the real crux of the matter - but if it wasn't, then what was?

A pair of underlings, who seemed to have just left the training hall, passed by behind him. Their feet crunched loudly on the gravel as they gossiped something about a couple of recent recruits who had disappeared completely; not only had they stopped turning up for training, they weren't showing up in any of their usual haunts or answering any calls either.

Noctis sighed, uninterested in the comings and goings of new recruits - he assumed they were delinquents with a romanticised view of the yakuza, joining eagerly and then attempting to escape just as quickly once they found themselves in over their heads - but the fading discussion behind him reminded Noctis of being called to the faculty lounge to speak with Nyx that morning break.

Nyx had reassured Noctis he wasn't in trouble, but as the coach and advisor he still had to do something about all of the freshman's missed karate sessions. He knew it was difficult for Noctis to be in the hall with Gladio not there - everyone could feel the impact of their captain's missing presence, so it was completely understandable for Noctis to feel it more. But with the way club funding was allocated (more members meant a larger budget) signing up usually meant compulsory attendance.

Long story short, Noctis ideally needed to either start showing up again or quit - but Nyx was understanding of the freshman's position and was willing to discreetly waive the rules for him.

"Look, take your time doing what it is you need to do; you've got people who'll cover for you," Nyx reached across to pat Noctis' upper arm. "I just want you to make sure you have no regrets: attending, quitting, waiting for Gladio to come back, too. It's all your choice. Do whatever feels right for _you."_

Thinking of it again now, Noctis realised it was exactly the encouragement he needed to hear.

_Take your time… No regrets… People will cover for you… Gladio coming back…_

Nyx would… Ignis was… Prompto… 

The coach's words echoed in Noctis' mind as he crouched watching the koi that evening. 

What was it that Noctis wanted to do? 

\----------

_**Noctis:** guys are you free tomorrow_

_**Prompto:** sure buddy! what's up? :D_

_**Noctis:** Gladio's working. let's go see him after his shift_

_**Prompto:** yeahhh! it's been forever since we all hung out! usually sth always comes up with you, Noct!_

_@Gladio what time do you finish?_

_**Noctis:** 3pm_

_**Prompto:** XD_

_@Iggy you in?_

_**Noctis:** don't worry he's coming. he doesn't have a choice_

_**Prompto:** lol you his boss or sth? XD_

_**Noctis:** :)_

\----------

"So?" Prompto stuffed his hands into his pockets, feeling the chill in the air which came with the end of Autumn. "We're not going in?" 

"...No, I kind of wanted to take you guys someplace else," Noctis looked up at the store sign as he spoke. "Got something important to tell you all."

Ignis shifted his weight onto one hip, trying not to look too concerned. Noctis hadn't told him about any important announcements. Ignis hoped it wasn't going to be something crazy, based on how down Noctis had been feeling lately. The first year had been skipping club for a while now, so perhaps something to do with that? Although, he wished Noctis would have run it by him first (it was already a little inconvenient fabricating his daily reports without Noctis actually deciding to quit the club entirely).

At ten past three, Gladio stepped out of the front door - no longer in his uniform but with his hair still gelled into spikes - smiling but obviously tired. His cut was healing nicely, a light pinkish scar now, and somehow it didn't look out of place running neatly down Gladio's face.

Noctis exhaled softly. It didn't affect Gladio's good looks at least, that's for sure.

"Hey," Gladio rumbled softly, meeting Noctis' gaze with a nod.

"...Hey," Noctis replied, surprised at how his voice didn't catch, like he'd worried it might have done.

It had been almost a fortnight, but Noctis was glad they were still able to greet each other casually enough; he'd been nervous things might have changed in that time. They'd still messaged in the group - it was easy to hide difficult emotions behind a facade of text - but now was the first time they'd actually seen each other in person.

Noctis thought maybe it was a good thing he'd decided to avoid Gladio for the past two weeks - maybe that had been what had helped Noctis' heart to settle some, ready for today.

The four caught the subway together, making light conversation as they rode - Prompto nudging Noctis to spill the big secret already and Noctis shrugging him off with a decidedly forced smile.

After leaving the station at their destination, they walked for around ten minutes through the streets - Noctis in front, turned silent now, and the other three following behind, a little confused.

As the walk progressed and the route stayed painfully familiar, Ignis felt himself becoming more and more uneasy. Doubts pricked in his mind - should he say something, should he stop Noctis from whatever he was planning? But the feelings weren't strong enough to differentiate between paranoia, or if he actually had a reason to feel so apprehensive.

When Noctis eventually came to a stop, Ignis felt a cold shiver run through his entire body. The surprise was enough for Ignis to not notice Gladio's similar uncomfortable reaction beside him.

"...We're here," Noctis breathed, turning to face the other three. 

Behind him, across the road and a little way down, loomed the foreboding presence of a large, gated manor.

"What's here?" Prompto blinked innocently, the only one seemingly not on edge at that moment.

"There's a manor behind me," Noctis tilted his head up slightly in its direction. "...Do you have an idea who might live in a place like that, Prom?" 

"Um…" Prompto frowned, eyes flitting between his friends and not understanding the sudden tension. "I… don't know?" 

Noctis smiled, dropping his chin down to his chest and folding his arms. 

"I've been giving this a lot of thought lately and… I thought it'd be best to let you know, after all."

"Noct--" Ignis tried to interrupt, but Gladio silently put a hand on Ignis' shoulder to stop him.

"...You wanted to let us know who lives in that manor?" Prompto hazarded, even though he knew that wasn't exactly it.

"Iggy already knows," Noctis still didn't look up, focusing on a spot on the pavement instead. "And Gladio, I think he--" 

"Don't say it, Noct."

The words were whispered - quiet yet fierce - making everyone pause. They hadn't expected the words to have come from Gladio.

"...It's the base of a yakuza syndicate," Noctis continued, hugging himself a little tighter. "And it's also my--" 

"Noct, stop--" 

Was that Ignis this time or still Gladio? It didn't matter.

"It's my home."

Gladio let out a sharp breath, hand still clutching Ignis' shoulder, and the junior shut his eyes with a groan.

"Wait, wait," Prompto waved and pointed across the street, "you're saying you live there? Not like, as a prisoner, or something??" 

"I sometimes felt like that, but no. My dad owns the place," Noctis chuckled wryly. 

"The hell's so funny?" Gladio growled, letting go of Ignis to stand there, dumbfounded. "Is this meant to be a joke?" 

"It's not," Noctis finally raised his head to look Gladio in the eyes. "And I'm not ashamed of it, either."

"Wait, wait, wait," Prompto interrupted again. "Your dad owns… He's the _boss?_ You're the son of a yakuza _boss?!"_ The blonde looked around flailing, slightly exasperated. "Why is no one else freaking out about this?!" 

"Believe me," Ignis murmured under his breath, "I am."

Noctis took a step forward, tentatively reaching to touch Gladio's arm.

"I wanted to tell you guys because I was sick of hiding it. And… Gladio, because I think I can help you."

"No…" Gladio shook his head. "You're fucking kidding me right now."

"I wanted to invite you to come back to our group--" 

"Now I _know_ you're fucking kidding me," Gladio scoffed, tensing under Noctis' touch. 

"No, just listen, because it makes sense," Noctis pushed on, ignoring the way Gladio was glaring at him. He was sure if he could just explain himself better, Gladio would understand - just like the Gladio in his dream had.

"I know you're worried about what you're gonna do after graduation, that you were counting on those scouts but… It's not the scholarship you want, right?" Noctis relaxed his fingers against Gladio's forearm. "It's the money. And if you joined us, then you wouldn't need to worry about that - we could cover all the costs for you. I'd make sure it all came from sources you were happy with, too - all you'd have to do is swear your allegiance, you wouldn't even need to do anything--"

"Noct," Gladio put his hand on top of Noctis'.

Noctis almost thought Gladio was going to hold it, like he usually did - but he didn't. He pulled it softly away, leaving Noctis with his hand floating awkwardly in the air.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Gladio's voice should have been a warning - slow and deep and measured - but Noctis either didn't notice or stubbornly chose to ignore it.

"No," Noctis shook his head, forcing a small smile. "I really thought about this. Even with everything you told me before, it's not the mafia you hate - it's just one big misunderstanding! Because if I know your dad, then--" 

Ignis noticed Gladio flinch at the mention of his father - something dangerous lurking beneath the surface - and he moved to break things up before they became any worse, lifting a hand to tug Noctis away.

"Noct, I really don't think--" 

Noctis growled at the interruption, turning his head to glare at the second year.

"Specs, I've got this. Don't interfere."

Ignis clenched his jaw but did as he was told, taking a step backwards again as he curled his outstretched fingers into a fist against his chest.

Gladio frowned, glancing between the two of them.

"Prom's right, you don't seem all that surprised at this news, Iggy. And you're being oddly obedient to a guy a year younger than you."

Ignis pressed his lips into a line, refusing to answer. 

"You said you two were family friends…" Gladio continued, the hidden meaning behind those words finally becoming clear. "You meant _family_ friends, didn't ya."

"...It was never a complete lie," Ignis whispered slowly, in wake of the short silence.

"No, but it wasn't the truth either, was it," Gladio threw back.

Gladio knew he had a short temper and that he often acted on impulse, which wasn't necessarily a good thing; he also knew he was doing a pretty poor job at controlling his anger at that moment - but he was just _so_ damn angry. He didn't even understand why himself: it wasn't just discovering that his two friends were part of the mafia he despised, it wasn't that he felt like a fool for not trusting his own gut all those months ago, it was something _else._

"Hey," Noctis attempted to regain the third year's attention. "It doesn't matter--" 

"Whaddaya mean 'it doesn't matter'?" Gladio rounded on Noctis again with a growl. "Who're you to decide if it matters or not??" 

"I--" Noctis felt himself floundering, completely unprepared for Gladio's anger - it reminded him of the icy treatment he'd been given all the way back at the start of the school year, when Gladio had avoided him or shot him poorly hidden dirty looks. Noctis wondered how he could've forgotten - and that had been at only the mere mention of the Caelum name and the possibility of a connection… It was nowhere near the level of Noctis straight up saying he was the actual son of the clan's head boss.

 _"You_ said it," Noctis tried again, even as he fumbled to get the words out. "You said it didn't matter even if I was a yakuza boss--" 

"I thought it was fucking hypothetical!" Gladio clawed his fingers over his scalp, exasperated. "I didn't think you'd been lying to me all this time!" 

"So then, what?" Noctis couldn't help the anger which rose up at this admission - a protective reflex to feeling hurt. "You hate lies unless you're the one telling them?!"

"Don't try and turn this on me now," Gladio shifted his weight, towering over Noctis with his full height.

Prompto was still confused by the whole situation - Noctis was a yakuza boss' son and Ignis was his underling and Gladio was somehow linked to them because didn't Noctis say something about knowing the big guy's dad? - but Prompto was aware enough to decide he didn't like the way things were blowing up into an argument.

"Wait, guys, let's not fight!"

Gladio scoffed without breaking the frown directed at Noctis, physically waving the blonde away with one hand. He hadn't expected Prompto to step forward as he spoke and ended up pushing his palm against the younger teen's face, sending him stumbling backwards and into Ignis' arms.

"Hey!" Noctis' temper flared up even more as he saw the shove as intentional. "Don't fucking touch him!" 

The accusatory comment was enough to quell Gladio's impulse to apologise. 

"Don't try and order me around like I'm one of your lackeys!" the third year retorted. "Or what? Was that your game this whole time? Thought you'd get closer in some kinda ploy to get me to come crawling back?!"

Heightened emotions, testosterone and adolescence were never a good combination for rational thinking.

"What? I--" Noctis laughed unintentionally, the notion of what Gladio was suggesting too ridiculous not to. "You really believe I planned for those thugs to ambush us??" 

"I dunno what I believe anymore," Gladio shook his head, mimicking Noctis' mirthless smile. "All this time ya said nothing, only when I jumped into some fight to protect you--" 

"I didn't ask you to protect me!" Noctis spat out in irritation, his voice rising uncharacteristically loud.

That wasn't it. That was nowhere near what Noctis wanted to say - because Noctis was beyond grateful Gladio had fought for his sake - but the words were out before he could stop them.

He meant he didn't want this feeling of guilt, or to feel like any of his decisions were out of obligation rather than freedom - he wanted to feel like he was telling Gladio everything out of his own free will. Noctis just wanted to be free; that was all he'd ever wanted.

The third year reeled, as if he'd been physically struck by those misunderstood words.

"Yeah," Gladio's voice somehow dropped even colder than before. "I know."

He roughly shoved Noctis away by the shoulder and exhaled sharply, no longer making eye contact.

"...I can't deal with this right now," Gladio muttered through clenched teeth, backing a couple of steps away, then turning on his heel before anyone could stop him.

Noctis watched Gladio leave, his voice caught in his throat - not that he knew what to say even if it wasn't. Ignis stood stock still beside him, supporting a shaken looking Prompto by the small of his back.

After a moment's silence, Gladio now completely out of sight, Noctis finally found it in him to breathe again. What the hell had just happened? Noctis had thought about this for so long, he'd convinced himself the conversation would follow his predictions perfectly. He was realising now, all too late, he had never made any predictions in the first place: all his thoughts had just been childish fantasies.

"Fuck!" Noctis swore, suddenly kicking a nearby streetlamp in frustration. "This wasn't meant to happen!" he groaned, leaning his forearm against the cold metal and clenching his fist.

Ignis' mind was still racing, trying to piece together the flurry of new information within the argument he'd just witnessed: Noctis knew Gladio's father? The two teens had spoken about the yakuza before? Noctis had invited Gladio not just to join their group, but to return? It was a lot to take in but, despite his curiosity, Ignis couldn't bring himself to add to Noctis' troubles by questioning him on anything right now.

Instead, Ignis let his eyes wander back towards the Manor, its silhouette striking against the bleak Autumn sky. Then his line of sight travelled downwards, as he noticed a pristine white car pull up outside the gates. He felt his stomach tighten.

"...Noct?" Ignis called for the other teen's attention.

Two men in suits stepped out from the car, one of them moving to open the rear door to allow a third man to join them on the pavement.

"Woah. Who's that?" Prompto followed Ignis' gaze, eyes immediately drawn to the centre figure awaiting entrance.

It had been a while since Noctis and Ignis had last seen him, but there was no mistaking the way he held himself - commanding attention, confident and proud - or that platinum blonde hair.

The Lucis clan had an important visitor.

Ravus Nox Fleuret.


	16. I'm Not Surprised But... It Hurts

"...Let's get out of here."

Noctis took a step back, his blood running cold at the sight of the man before them. The thugs who had attacked him said they were doing so under the orders of the Fleuret heir, so for said heir to be here now - it couldn't mean anything good. 

At the very least, it most likely meant their little altercation was not going to stay a secret for much longer… And Noctis was not keen to be around for the aftermath once the higher ups learned he'd been keeping something like that hidden for so long. Coming forward with it himself and being found out behind his back were two completely different things; Noctis could only regret he hadn't done anything about the situation sooner.

"Noct… I'm not sure if running away is the solution." The hesitation in Ignis' words didn't match the way he planted his feet firmly in place. "Perhaps we've been making a number of poor decisions lately… And perhaps it might be better not to add to them."

Noctis bit his lip, glancing back across at where Ravus had now been escorted inside.

He knew Ignis was right - as usual - and they would need to face up to the truth eventually. He also knew Ignis probably wanted to run just as much as Noctis himself did: after all, as his assigned bodyguard, he should have been there in the first place. On top of that, he'd omitted the incident from his reports and even disposed of the knife. There was a whole list of failings on his part which Ignis had no way of escaping… Sure, they could all be put down to orders from the Young Master, but Ignis had too much pride for that. He wouldn't let Noctis take the fall alone.

But if Noctis owned up now, it would mean owning up to the fact he'd gotten Gladio involved, too. And despite his stoicism, Noctis was still certain Clarus had some kind of feelings for his son. Was he ready to face that pressure on top of everything else?

"Iggy, I can't. Not yet," Noctis begged. "Please."

He wasn't. Especially not after his argument with Gladio just now. He knew it was probably another bad decision in a whole sequence of them one after another, but Noctis just wanted to get out of there before he suffocated.

Ignis appeared conflicted but his feet remained rooted. Noctis was fidgeting and looked as if he was ready to flee - though where to, he had no idea.

Prompto cleared his throat.

"Um… guys? I gotta admit I don't know exactly what's going on, but I can tell your heads are just as confused as mine is right now. Iggy, why don't you two come back to my place for a bit? Just until you settle yourselves down again?"

Ignis' expression seemed to soften slightly at the suggestion, and Noctis' eyes were no longer darting around but fixed upon him as he spoke, so Prompto pushed on.

"We can order in pizza and relax, then you guys can come back in the evening, ready to tackle whatever it is you need to do? It's not running away… More like making a pit stop," Prompto finished with a forced smile and Noctis felt his chest tighten with affection - Prompto wasn't treating them any differently. In fact, rather than freak out, he was trying to comfort them.

"...You don't mind, Prom?" Noctis felt like he had to clarify. "We're yakuza, you know. You're not afraid?" 

Prompto grinned, a little brighter this time.

"I've not been afraid of you all these months, why should I start now? So your family is a little different," Prompto shrugged. "You guys are still you. And… I like you guys. So will you come over or not?" 

Noctis almost felt like he could cry; he didn't deserve a friend as optimistic or helpful as Prompto.

"Iggy?"

With two pairs of expectant eyes upon him, Ignis lowered his head with a sigh. He knew when he was defeated.

"...Thank you, Prompto."

\----------

"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated."

Ravus raised his head from a bow, his actions as smooth as his words, while the underlings he'd brought with him mimicked the gesture at his sides.

"Enough of the formalities," Regis waved one hand dismissively, sitting down in one of the chairs then gesturing for Ravus to take another. "We're busy men; let's cut straight to the reason for this visit - what manner of business could possibly cause you to personally journey the long distance here from Tenebrae? Unannounced, no less."

Ravus smiled, his lips pulling into a tight curve as he took a seat. "I would prefer business, but I'm loath to say I'm here for a far less favourable reason." He clicked his fingers at one of his underlings, prompting the man to pull out a large wad of cash from his suit's inner pocket and hand it to his leader.

"And this is?" Regis' voice was neutral as Ravus placed the bundle of notes onto the table between them.

"Blood money, in lieu of a more eloquent apology," Ravus tilted his head in a half bow.

Regis picked up the heavy pile and ran his thumb over its width, clearly doing a quick mental estimation of the amount.

"How generous," Regis hummed, passing the money to Clarus, who had taken a seat to his left. "Though you've yet to explain the need for your personal involvement."

Ravus raised one eyebrow. He'd expected a far less amicable reaction to his arrival but, given the other man's muted response, Ravus could only surmise Regis wasn't actually aware of the whole situation.

"...It's difficult," Ravus laced his fingers together on the table, "to keep abreast of every member within a group 100% of the time, isn't it. To know every single going on is a tireless task."

Regis smiled knowingly, though Ravus noticed the action didn't reach his eyes.

"So when I eventually discovered the idiocy which had occurred, I considered it my duty to speak with you in person - taking into account who was involved," Ravus continued, watching for any signs of confusion. "I only hope you can excuse the delay."

"Well," Regis leant back in his chair, "the end result was nothing which required my full attention."

Ravus wondered if the older man really was as ignorant as Ravus suspected, or if he just possessed that strong of a poker face. He couldn't help but be impressed by Regis' performance, if so.

"It's good to hear the Lucis heir was unaffected," Ravus nodded his head in deference once more. "It bodes well for our future."

"Indeed," Regis' smile remained unwavering. "My son will make a fine leader, just as you seem to be doing in Sylva's absence." He raised his head, looking more regal than ever in his posture. "How fare her travels abroad? Casinos were never my forte - expanding territory under the pretence of a new chain is far beyond my experience…"

Ravus held back an amused snort - his youth didn't prevent him from picking up on attempts at eliciting information veiled beneath polite conversation. He saw no harm in playing along, well aware of their hierarchy in positions.

"Mother is doing well in establishing our name elsewhere," Ravus replied. "Though rest assured, our activities are in no way an effort to assert independence. We are very much content to remain under your group's esteemed protection."

"So then this incident concerning my son?" Regis' voice and expression were neutral, despite the way his aura distinctly radiated displeasure. "A repeat of any kind would do the Fleurets no favours, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Of course," Ravus drew himself up straighter. "The worms responsible have been dealt with accordingly; I'll spare wasting your time with the details."

"And the reason for their insubordination?" Regis probed, another lightless smile gracing his features.

"Discontentment at my role in Mother's absence - as if age makes a better qualification than ability, any claims of nepotism aside," Ravus sneered, looking away with disgust. "A foolish idea to undermine me by creating a rift between our clans, using the unfortunate Caelum Jr. as the trigger: an attempted abduction under my supposed command."

Ravus turned his head back to meet Regis' eyes with a cold gaze. "Forgive me if it's not my place, but it seems a little pest control wouldn't go amiss in this place, either - I was informed the details of your son's whereabouts that day were obtained here, from the Manor itself."

Regis' smile grew wider, his eyes crinkling as his lips quirked at one corner. "Your concern is duly noted. I'm afraid I've been rather more lenient than usual lately, particularly when it comes to Noctis. It's a shame the repercussions have fallen upon yourself to clean up."

"Well," Ravus openly snorted this time, too amused to hide it, "the job was made far easier in no small part by yourselves. Tell me, which underling was on babysitting duty that day? And of highschool age, no less?" Ravus gestured airily with one hand, "He deserves a promotion, considering how injured those maggots appeared on their return: I'm confident any blood payment would have been unnecessary were he not outnumbered and weaponless."

"Only the best for my son," Regis preened smoothly in reply, feeling confident in the conversation now that he was no longer pretending to know things he didn't. "The young Scientia is exemplary in everything he does - calculated and with purpose. Although, as proven by this exact incident," Regis smiled wryly, "I've heard tale you would not want to be there to witness him ever lose his temper."

\-----------

Gladio slammed the front door behind him with a loud bang, ripping off his jacket and chucking it in a ball at the floor.

Damnit. Damnit. _Damnit._

He kicked his shoes off into a jumbled heap against the wall.

"Gladdy?" Iris peeked gingerly around the corner. "Are… you OK?" 

Gladio jerked his head up at her voice, still scowling, but upon seeing the scared expression on his younger sister's face immediately looked away again.

"Yeah. Nothing to worry about," he grunted, embarrassed at showing this side of himself.

"...Is Noctis OK?" Iris hazarded, worried about the reason for her brother's mood and knowing they'd just met up; Gladio had texted her saying he'd be late home from work because of it, and he'd even playfully punctuated his message with an uncharacteristic row of smiley emoji.

Gladio exhaled sharply. He didn't need to get Iris involved. He needed to control himself, get his emotions in check.

"Yeah," he strode past and threw himself flat onto the couch, covering his eyes with one arm. "That guy's fine."

Iris pressed her lips together. In all likelihood her brother was hiding something - he never was the best liar, and his clenched jaw and deep breathing were clear signs everything was _not_ fine - but Iris knew he would tell her whatever it was when he was ready. He didn't need her badgering him.

"OK then," she nodded slowly. "I was just waiting for you to get back to let you know, but I wanted to go pick up a few things for dinner. Can I go out now?" 

"Yeah, go for it," Gladio mumbled, face still hidden.

"OK then," Iris repeated. "I'm just going down to the local supermarket. I'll be back soon."

She collected her things quietly and headed out, hanging up Gladio's jacket and straightening his shoes on her way past. It was best to leave him alone for a bit: long enough for him to calm down without worrying about her watching, anyway.

At the sound of the front door clicking shut, Gladio let his arm slide down to his chest, staring up blankly at the ceiling instead.

So Noctis Caelum really was Noctis _Lucis_ Caelum and he really did belong to the same yakuza family Gladio so despised. And Ignis wasn't a 'family friend' but a fucking subordinate within that Lucis family.

And they'd lied.

They were a pair of liars, turning up with all their baggage, and Gladio had been stupid enough to let them in. He'd trusted them. Not only that, he'd trusted them with Iris - and the whole time they were walking bombs, just waiting to explode and bring up all the shit which comes along with being part of a yakuza clan.

Shit.

 _Shit._ Gladio had fucking trusted them to look after _Iris._ Thank the Astrals nothing had happened to her.

He could feel his blood beginning to boil again and sat up, slamming his fist down into the seat in frustration. Thank the Six Iris happened to be out right now, so she didn't need to witness him venting like this.

Had Noctis been laughing at him? When Gladio had bared his soul and admitted to being from the Manor, when he'd confided his worries to him about using dirty money sent from his old man… Gladio hadn't been subtle in his hate for the mafia and Noctis had just sat there and listened. The damn bastard. It was one thing to lie to everyone else about his background - Gladio had done the same himself, after all - but for Noctis to lie to his face when given the opportunity not to? That was too fucking much.

It wasn't hatred he felt, or simple hurt. Gladio felt betrayed.

What the fuck were all those times they'd spent together, then? Had all those been a lie, too? Hanging out, laughing, teasing, those moments they'd shared… Gladio had never felt so comfortable before. He'd let his guard down. He'd even let himself fall in--

With a strangled shout, Gladio punched the sofa again with the side of his fist. What the fuck. What was this fucking pain in his chest - white hot and burning at the mere thought of Noctis' face: laughing and sneering… 

Except the Noctis in Gladio's memories wasn't sneering when he laughed. He was light and genuine, looking at Gladio with clear blue eyes, full of adoration, a shy grin upon his lips before burying himself contentedly against Gladio's side. Warm and familiar and perfect. The Noctis in his memories was the hurt, guilt-wracked freshman in the hospital. The Noctis in his memories wasn't a bad guy at all - so why was Gladio so determined to hate him?

Gladio started blinking faster, feeling his eyes start to burn along with his chest. A lump was forming in his throat, threatening to burst and drag up the emotions he was trying so hard to cover under layers of anger and distrust.

"Ifrit's sake," Gladio snarled, heaving himself off the sofa and into the bathroom. Iris might be back at any moment and he didn't want her seeing him like this. 

He mechanically stripped off and climbed into the shower, twisting the water on as hot as he could bear. He stood underneath the stream, face first, holding his breath as he let the water run hot rivers down his cheeks. His chest began to ache, his body begging him to take a breath, but Gladio stubbornly clenched his jaw in defiance.

Why had he lashed out when Noctis finally came to him with the truth? Thinking about it now, Gladio realised it was because he was embarrassed. What else could it have been? Anger was a reflex to protect himself - a stereotypical alpha male, too afraid to show any weakness, covering his shame behind a shield of aggression.

As if it wasn't bad enough Noctis had embarrassed Gladio by playing him for a fool all this time, the freshman had the gall to bring up money as the reason Gladio needed his help - again, just like he'd done in the hospital. Money, money, money.

Gladio didn't like feeling like some kind of charity case. He didn't consider himself poor by any means - he and Iris had enough to be content - but for Noctis to come swanning in with his holier-than-thou attitude on top of everything else… Even if Gladio knew that couldn't really have been the other teen's intention, it hadn't stopped his knee jerk reaction to become defensive over the perceived insult. It had made him think Noctis was a lot less innocent than he'd always let on.

Did he really think Noctis had spent the past half year planning all this? That their whole relationship was a lie? Of course he didn't. He didn't want to, either. It was just something stupid he'd said in the heat of the moment, too proud to take it back even though he'd immediately known it was wrong.

Gladio shook his head and turned so the water was now beating against his back, finally gulping in large ragged lungfuls of air and pressing his palms over his eyes.

He was such a damn fool, he hated it. He hated the fact he'd been deceived. He hated the way he'd reacted. He hated how his trust had been shaken. But most of all, he hated the way his chest still ached - not from betrayal, but from yearning.

Gladio had never admitted it out loud, but he knew it was true and he was certain it hadn't changed despite it all: he loved Noctis. And now he'd ruined things, by blowing up instead of listening, and by letting his temper get the better of everything.

As Gladio stood there - confused and hurt, his body shuddering along with his shaking breaths - the hot wet rivers continued to flow down his cheeks.

\----------

"...Noct?"

Prompto tentatively reached forward to touch the other teen's shoulder.

The three of them were now in Prompto's apartment - empty pizza boxes strewn around the table - and sitting comfortably beneath the kotatsu in the centre of the room as they spoke, trying to unjumble the confusing mess between them. Ignis had already summarised all he could to a quietly wide-eyed Prompto and they'd since moved on to comforting Noctis, the one the most lost over everything that had happened.

"I'm fine, Prom," Noctis wiped at where tears were beginning to prick at the corners of his eyes. "I just… I mean, I'd hate it if I'd gotten anyone hurt, but it wasn't just anyone. It was _Gladio._ And he wasn't just hurt, he was… He's gonna look at himself in the mirror every day for the rest of his life and he'll never forget what I did to him."

Noctis blinked a little faster as he heard the words leave his mouth. Gladio would never forget? He'd never stop hating him? That… really hurt.

"Noct," Prompto placed his hand a little firmer on Noctis' shoulder, tugging him into a hug. "Cry if you wanna cry, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"He must really resent me, huh," Noctis buried his face into Prompto's shoulder. "I mean, I'm not surprised, but…" He tried to choke back the tears, "It _hurts,_ Prom," but Noctis' voice cracked on his friend's name.

Prompto just held him tighter, afraid he might start crying himself, too.

Ignis bowed his head in silence as Prompto literally gave Noctis a shoulder to cry on. It was too late to change the past now, but they could at least still focus on the best way forwards together. If Noctis was too upset to deal with things, Ignis decided to make it his responsibility to deal with those things for him. What to do with Gladio, how to resolve things when they returned home that evening: Ignis would deal with them, somehow. He was going to become the pillar of support he should have been in the first place.

For now, it was best to let Noctis vent.

"I was saving this for the mid-Winter celebrations, but then I ended up grabbing it now before I met up with you guys…" Noctis sniffed and sat up straight again, gently untangling himself from Prompto as he wiped his eyes with his knuckles.

He moved to pull out a small, slim box from his jacket pocket, which was still bundled up on the floor where he'd shrugged it off behind him earlier.

"I don't know what I was imagining, but it wasn't for Gladio to freak out like that," Noctis admitted, running his fingers over the lid of the box. "I was gonna give it to him today instead, as a kind of peace offering, maybe?"

"...You can still give it to him," Prompto replied softly. "After he's had some time to cool down?" 

Noctis shook his head.

"It's not my place to say, but I know Gladio's got his reasons for reacting the way he did - it's my fault for thinking I was special enough to ignore all that." Noctis dropped his head in resignation, sighing weakly, "Trust me, he's not gonna want anything to do with me anymore."

Prompto opened his mouth to argue, but Noctis cut him off before he could, pushing the box into his hand.

"Can you just take it for me, Prom? Having it'll just remind me of all the shit I've messed up, but I can't bring myself to just chuck it. Do me the honours?"

Prompto pursed his lips together, upset at Noctis' defeatist attitude, but he didn't know enough about Gladio's situation to give any proper rebuttals.

"...Sure, buddy."

They tidied up after that, at Ignis' insistence, then loitered around chatting for as long as they were able: about what it was really like being part of a yakuza syndicate, about Noctis and Ignis' impressions of 'normal' highschool life, about arcades and whether Prompto really would be just as hot a shooter with a real gun. The conversation turned lighthearted, in a bid to distract them from everything which awaited outside the cocoon of Prompto's apartment.

When it finally became too late for them to procrastinate any longer - and they were standing reluctantly in the entranceway before Noctis and Ignis had to leave - Prompto pulled the other two into a group hug, wrapping his arms as far around them as physically possible.

"You're gonna be OK, right?" he buried his face into their chests, half of him not wanting to let them go. "Cos you're the boss' son and his right-hand man, they can't actually do anything to you, right??"

Ignis chuckled at the label and Noctis squeezed them both, returning the comforting gesture as best he could.

"Yeah, we'll be fine, Prom. Thanks."

Saying the words out loud gave Noctis the strength to believe they might actually be true.

When he and Ignis arrived back at the Manor that evening, neither was surprised to find Clarus waiting for them. Noctis supposed he could take it as a good sign that the older man had chosen to wait rather than text or call or send someone out to physically drag him back sooner; that simple fact gave him a little more confidence.

"Ignis," Clarus approached the two teenagers with a grim expression. "Do you have anything pressing to report, perhaps?"

Before the other teen could answer, Noctis stepped forwards.

"No, but I have."


End file.
